Theory Thursday No. 9

Circle of 5ths

In Western music, a chromatic scale is the pattern of 12 notes spanning one octave. Each note is separated by a half step, or semitone. The Circle of Fifths is a diagram that displays these 12 notes of a full chromatic scale. If the circle of 5ths is memorized and understood fully, it can be a powerful tool to help any musician know the key signatures of relative major and minor scales. In violin lessons, this is something I encourage my students to learn. Whether trained in classical, jazz, folk, or other styles of music, this knowledge would be helpful to any musician.

Happy Theory Thursday! Have fun memorizing you Circle of 5ths.
Larissa