The Circle of Fifths

[neverfoundthetime]

That's what you call "putting it in a nutshell" Vanessa... nice job!

[tacticaltal]

Ha Shel, you're such a sweetheart!!! Dancing circle of fifths? Haha! :laugh: :laugh:

michelew wrote:

Nessa,

This is such a fun instructional video. You're a natural born teacher and your love for music shines through.

Perhaps this should be called the dancing circle of fifths. It looks like your fingers are doing a dance routine on the fretboard. Too cool.

Thanks Teach!

Shel

[willem]

Thanks Tony!! So you áre picking up on some theory? Good for you!

Yes Terry, I was sound asleep by then! And Shel has actually provided a great answer! It's true, Neil could even put together a lesson for this. would indeed be great if Dermot, or you, 'ask' him. (I'm careful with putting up vids with instructions, I mean.....I'm not the teacher here, Neil is. I do sómetimes when I find that typing isn't going to cut it.)...In any way, like i said earlier it's a handy tool for lots of things.

Shel, great answer!!!! :cheer:

Thanks Chris, really great to hear from another 'teacher'!!

Ness

Fearing me Dermot? You should! :woohoo: If I was your instructor in real life, then........haha! :laugh: :laugh:

[willem]

tacticaltal wrote:

OK, Ness, you can't leave us like THAT. Now that we know how to find them (cause you've put together an awesome teaching video), please tell us the "why we need to know them" version. Is this something needed for lead or something of that sort?

This is what I wanted to ask too but could'nt find the words so ''why we need to know them''? and should it be in our mind or can we use it only from reading it from the sheet??

Nessie or Neil???


Willem

[thereshopeyet]

Vanessa

Thanks.

[neverfoundthetime]

Couldn't have said it any better!

''Why is it so important to learn the Circle of Fifths?

Because its visualization will help you to identify key signatures, find related keys and remember the order of sharps and flats in key signatures. It is a valuable tool that helps you to see the fundamental relationships that music is based on.''




willem wrote:

tacticaltal wrote:

OK, Ness, you can't leave us like THAT. Now that we know how to find them (cause you've put together an awesome teaching video), please tell us the "why we need to know them" version. Is this something needed for lead or something of that sort?

This is what I wanted to ask too but could'nt find the words so ''why we need to know them''? and should it be in our mind or can we use it only from reading it from the sheet??

Nessie or Neil???


Willem

[thereshopeyet]

Vanessa

Thanks Again ......

[tacticaltal]

nesh16041972 wrote:

Yes Terry, I was sound asleep by then! And Shel has actually provided a great answer! It's true, Neil could even put together a lesson for this. would indeed be great if Dermot, or you, 'ask' him. (I'm careful with putting up vids with instructions, I mean.....I'm not the teacher here, Neil is. I do sómetimes when I find that typing isn't going to cut it.)...In any way, like i said earlier it's a handy tool for lots of things.

Vanessa I figured that about your reluctance to putting up instructional videos, and it's a good choice on your part. I don't really know where to ask Neil questions, I mean I asked him one once, and he hasn't replied, so I'm not sure how often he reads every forum or topic. Maybe I'm still too new, and I haven't found all the resources yet

[suziko]

Ness,

What a great explanation of the Circle of Fifths. It's so nice of you, too, to take the time to answer this way. Everyone benefits!

Suzi

[michelew]

thereshopeyet wrote:

Okay so I'm a self confessed nutter and this confirms it!!!

I've attached a document that contains mnemonics to help remember the Circle of Fifths.
There's an element of imagination when interpreting it, but I think the information provided
explains enough to figure out what I mean..... anyway......

I have a terrible memory and a few years back I wanted to memorise the Circle of Fifths
so I could remember fifths, relative minor keys, key signatures and order of accidentals.

Although I did this I have never really understood the practical application of the Circle of Fifths
when playing the guitar?

Edit
I also know that going counter clockwise around the circle, it becomes a Circle of Fourths.

:S

I'm adding this long-winded explanation because I know Dermot is a details man and likes to think about things in a bunch or different ways until it all falls into place for him. It's probably too tedious an explanation for most people. Ness's dancing circle of fifths is much more elegant.


Dermot - Nessa's video and the fifth finding exercise - I mean the dancing circle of fifths - will help you to remember the order that sharps and flats are added to keys as we've said and the key names. If you start the pattern at F then that's the order for adding sharps. So that's F, C, G, D, A, E, B ( I remember this as F, C, G, (BEAD backwards). Once you get to B, if you turn around and play the pattern in reverse BEAD, G, C, F , then that's the pattern for adding flats.

Incidentally, the order of the key signatures (the names of the keys) is the same, but offset by one (for flats) or two (for sharps). Remember C has nothing. Then G as one sharp which is F; D has two sharps F, C (stop in the pattern one sharp before the name of the key); A has three F, C, G - stop one before the name of the key. And so on for sharps.

For flats it's similar but a little different (the offset is one instead of two), but the pattern is starting at the other end (at Bb) and is in reverse. The word BEAD helps me to remember the order. I know that F has just a Bb, and for the key of Bb you add an Eb as well. So for the flats the name of the key is one behind the flats added to the key to make it. For Ab you add the whole BEAD.

Confused yet? I'm just trying to say that It's a pattern within a pattern but it always goes F C G BEAD when adding sharps and the reverse BEAD G C F when adding flats.

Do the dance (backwards and forwards) and I think it will stick in your head.