I grew up on guitar chords. But, I had an AHA! moment as an adult when I had been loaned a piano after years of simple guitar playing. I started rote learning piano scales and chord fingerings, inverting chords and sussing things out from what my hands were teaching my brain. The muscle memory of the chords started to make my brain see what I couldn't grok before. I had a moment when I instantly realized I could improvise chords in any major key. I had no idea what they were called, my hands would just do it. The Heavens opened and the first bit of theory dropped into my smooth brain! But I never understood the good of the Circle of Fifths until today. Never to old to get some more music theory!
My teacher put ' revise the circle of fifths ' in my tuition log for this weeks homework and there's quite a few videos on it but this is the one that gets my vote and unlocked the mystique,removed the sunglasses and blew away the fog - so now i'm enlightened ! Thank you Guy - any relation to Cliff ?
I've had jazz players look down their noses at me (rock, country, blues, ballad, simple-jazz guitarist/keyboardist/bassist ear-player with poor score-reading skills) because I hadn't heard of, didn't understand, hadn't grasped the amazingly revelatory usefulness of, the mystical, magical Circle of 5ths. Having watched Guy's excellent video, I now feel as though someone has explained to me the mechanics of walking in order for me to be able to walk. I understand everything that's been said, my left eyebrow and even my left lip lifted ever-so slightly in mild interest at a couple of fun-facts (did you know your toes maintain contact with the ground about 75% of the time when walking?). But actually I could already walk. Somehow I'd managed to learn how to walk without having a picture on the wall showing how all the nerves, muscles, bones and tendons interact in order to make it possible. This video is a brilliant explanation of a concept that I'm sure is really useful to people who are struggling to break out from standard chord progressions etc. But next time I'm playing with some snob of an Academy-trained player who starts on about the Circle of 5ths, I shall remain smug in the knowledge that they probably needed to know and use it because their ears aren't good enough or they don't listen to, absorb and experiment with a wide enough range of music.
Guy is seriously the music teacher I always wished I had growing up. He always makes things so engaging, easy to digest and most importantly easy to implement. Thanks Guy!
I suppose Your style of presentation is not everybody‘s cup of tea but I like it ! Refreshingly uninhibited and overenthusiastic ( in a good way). A welcome change from all the knowledgeable and informative but somewhat dull musictutorials. I also like Your „ Britishness“ . Good to see something that cheers one up in these gloomy times of corona hysteria. Thanks and keep up the good work. I may sign up for one of Your courses. Best wishes: Peter
6 minutes in and i realised that my music theory teacher made me learn this using a pneumonic device. i just thought it helped me know all the notes in the major/minor scales bc of relative keys, i remember them by the 3 semitone (half step) rule. To find the minor scale, go down 3 semitones. To find the major scale, go up 3 semitones.
7 is the magic number.Just count 7 semitones forward from C to get G, 7 to get D and so on until you have 7 keys after C. You can do the same thing in reverse. Count back 7 semitones from C you get F, 7 to Bb etc until you get 7 keys to the left of C. There's 7 sharp keys, 7 flat keys and there are 7 sharps or flats you can add (F ,C, G, D, A , E,). I like this system because you dont have to know scales to fill out a circle of fifths, only how to count seven semitones. Circle of fifths will tell you the scales and keys once its completed, no need to learn them in advance.
OMG... I literally was just teaching this exact lesson 5 mins ago with my class. I'll be sharing this video next week with them. Thanks for the great content
I am French...I play guitar...have no music theory.....but your channel is so useful and clever that I follow you and try to understand all what you explain ! Thanks a lot Master 🥰 👍. Regards from France.
Despite my best efforts in the past, I've never really understood the circle of fifths. This explanation clarifies it all so simply that it's hard to know why I ever found it so complicated. It's a brilliant lesson and very entertaining with it. Thanks.
I can relate to this! I was quite confident but never really understood inversions, then I watched Guy's video and now I use them daily. Many thanks @GuyMichelmore!
I am a piano teacher and I watch your videos because I absolutely love your way of teaching. From now on, i will teach the circle of fifths your way. Thanks!
Yours was the first video I watched on this and have watched like, 30 videos since and while practising, I keep coming back to this and it makes more and more sense each time - thank you :)
You are a fab teacher. It takes a lot of sanctity for someone who is so knowledgeable to be able to have the ability to explain something so simple to ones own self which can be seen as complicated to others. You just taught me the circle of fifths, how amazing.
EUREKA! This is surely a miracle. After years of avoiding this topic, I finally made up my mind to start on it today. However each video I watched just left me feeling more and more baffled until I started to feel decidedly stupid. Just when I made up my mind to keep searching doggedly - regardless of increasing discouragement - until I found a glimmer of enlightenment, the very next video I chose was this one. Thank you. The fog has lifted, the sunglasses are off, and I am facing the right way armed with binoculars. Furthermore, it was FUN.
Hi Guy. Thanks for this video. I am one of those who fit the description you gave about the Circle of fifths. After seeing how you explain it, it makes more sense to me. The sunglasses are off, I'm looking in the right direction but there are still a few patches of fog. I'll just have to practice and I'm sure the fog will dissipate. Thanks again for this, and other, informative videos.
Almost done with the Music Theory course. It's helping me progress beyond my expectations. Fully plan to take advantage of the sale (30% off short courses) and take them all. Thanks Guy. Best teacher in the world.
Awesome! Marking this. I think the ThinkSpace Education videos on the circle of fifths were the best I’ve ever seen. Thanks Guy, for creating something my simple mind can understand! Haha!
So I've been at tis stage where I could slightly change the keys in a limited range, but that one image 10:57 opened up a whole new way of looking at things, cause we can say the same exact thing about chords instead of thinking them as keys. And my friend recently taught me the importance of chord inversions to change keys, so, I'm sure I'm going to improve a lot in improvisation. Thanks a ton for this video!
Very clear explanation Guy, as usual! If you go anti-clockwise it becomes the Circle of Fourths. You can easily work out the 2-5-1 progression (A common progression in Jazz which mostly uses the 'flat' side rather than the 'sharp' side of this circle, for those not aware). If you want the 2-5-1 of say Ab, you go two steps back to Bb, one step forward to Eb and one more step forward back to Ab...and that's your 2-5-1! It's brilliant :)
Merci beaucoup for this. I don't know why I clicked here since I have seen other videos, but this was entertaining and showed the circle in ways that really helped my understanding. You've intrigued me so I think I'll watch another one.
I've done the course and can only commend it to anyone who plays music. Where were you 50 years ago when I needed you? - oh wait; don't answer that! Seriously though, music theory should be taught like this - always engaging, good explanation and better late than never (for the more "mature" person) - keep up the great work.
If only my teachers at school had been more like you.......thank you for sharing your talents and knowledge.....your delivery style entertains and informs without labour. In the nicest possible way you are the "Nutcracker suite" in a World that is currently more "The Rite of Spring".
I love this, I began my theory journey in April 2020, by day 3 I had watched over 5 different videos on this very topic for it to finally sink in, I got to the point of drawing this concentric circle off by heart, I wish your video had been available back in 2020 as i became fixated on this circle
I learned how the circle of fifths works. Seeing it laid out on the keyboard is great but I want to apply it to the guitar fretboard. Thanks for your upbeat videos!
I watched rick beatos music theory videos and I could understand some as a beginner but you added and explained so many more concepts it makes so much more sense
I did all this 30 years ago but its always good to go over the basics again as I'd shoved it into a dark corner and it makes a lot of sense to remember this when using more complex key changing systems! :o)
I wonder how many people understand how difficult it is to teach like you do. Thanks, Guy! You energize me every time I watch you. Cristian (physician from Argentina living and working in the US).
Getting Started With Music Theory: Free course! A brand new mini-series, teaching you the basics of music theory. Sign up here: thinkspaceeducation.com/signup/getting-started-with-music-theory/
I use the "circle of minor seconds", which also goes around in twelve steps. It has the interesting property that if you go the other way, its the "circle of major sevenths". Also, the notes occur in the exact some order as the alphabet, which makes it really convenient to learn. The worst of the rest is the "Six Demonic Circles of Tritone". I'm of course not being entire serious here, but you can construct this kind of thing from other intervals, and in doing so, get some fascinating insights.
Love your style of teaching, you remind me of Keith Floyd the chef, presumably without the drink. Always manage to make it interesting and keep my attention.
very helpful video! I'm glad i found this Guy, you explain it in a way that is easy to understand, which is the part i've struggled with. I understood that they keys had relationships but i didn't really understand how to put them together. thanks!
Massive thanks Guy. The dating analogy really helps to understand it just a guide to help with music writing not a rigid instruction. I also really appreciate looking at the circle as first keys then chords. This is the first time I actually felt I understood what the circle was designed to show.
I’ve subscribed to your channel after watching this video. I’ve only recently been able to intelligently explain this to someone and this video was helpful for reinforcing theory. I’ll recommend this video to anyone struggling to understand the circle of 5ths (and 4ths by proxy). I would recommend adding the concept of order of sharps and flats to help folks pick out the notes in the scale, that’s when it really hit home for me. Once you understand that each relative minor of the major key has the same amount of sharps or flats then it becomes super easy. Also to anyone reading comments there are nice chord wheels out there that you can pick up for less than $20 bucks that allow you to pick a key and it tells you each chord/note in the scale. There are also printable versions you can use for quick reference.
I wanna thank you a lot for the relationship analogy. I don't easily learn things from being told, and often need analogies and yours makes me understand almost exactly how chords relate to one another.
PHANQUE Guy. That was really helpful. I've recently been writing to suit my voice, I'm a dreadful singer but have struggled to find other voices for my songs. I've found the key of A suits me well enough and I often change key to F, rather than the relative F#min, in a song for variety. Now I know I've been shopping in the wrong suburb though the change seems to work for me. Again, thanks. VERY helpful.
Simply great explanation. Even though I’m doing several of Guys courses, I love watching these videos. He never misses a chance to make stuff interesting and fun.
Ha! Hubris, got you now! Glad I didn't skip the video, cuz I never noticed that the relative minors of adjacent keys(f, g) on the circle were actually in the scale (c) and make up the 2 and 3 chords. :D
Another brilliant video. You are number 1 in my UA-cam list of tutors by far. Can I request a video of layering of samples (preferably BBC SO Core, which I have). To include how to build ensemble patches by using individual patches, if possible. As I have said before, because of my age, your Dad was a star aswell. All the best.
This structure is extremely visible on the guitar. It's been my compositional compass for years. Even before I knew what it was. Great video - thanks from Vegas
Great lesson! One quick question though and I know it'll be a simple answer. As you had the circle diagram up, I noticed that the chords in a very familiar song, are off by one. House of the rising sun. Am, C, D, F, Am, C, Em. etc. As opposed to the Dm shown in the circle? Have I been playing it wrong, or did I miss something as I was tinkering at the same time as watching?
Thank you so so very much! I was able to understand bits and pieces of this before but it has never been put so plainly for me to understand until now! Absolutely wonderful. And your jokes are good.
When I think chords I just think minor and major thirds and stack them in all the different combinations. Min- maj = minor chord, maj- min = major chord, min-min is diminished, maj-maj is augmented. Dim and aug chords create tension and want to resolve ( just as sus2 and sus4)
Thank you, Guy! I recently did a course in the fundamentals of music theory. They did the circle of fifths. Maybe I should have worked it out, but not once did they mention the 4-1-5 2-6-3 relationship. I've been trying to work it out each time, but it's right there!!! I'll be taking the circle of fifths I printed out, out of the drawer it currently lives in and pinning it to my wall.
Yes it is indispensable. Along with the circle of fifths, on the same mini poster in my studio I have a “chain of thirds” to help me build chords. The sharps and flats are omitted in the thirds but can be calculated from the cycle of fifths.
I remember being taught scales on a piano many years ago and they used numbers for everything. So instead of saying whole step whole step half step etc, they would say, 2212221 for a Major and 2122122 for a Minor. Just be sure not to count the root note as 1 and only start counting on the next note from C which would be C#. They did the same with Chords too. It was a really good simple method to help beginners.
I normally sit in the corner with a voice in my head telling me ‘you can’t’ do this! I kind of get it now.. A little more work and I think I should be able to sit on the couch..🤣👍🇦🇺
Excellent ! Why wasn’t music theory taught that excentric and passionnating way at school, when i was a kid ? I really enjoyed this video and, most of all, now i can get rid of my sun glasses. Thanks a lot.
Guy.. I'm a recent subscriber...love the channel, you've clarified some foggy theory I've had, Circle of Fifths being one of them. I normally play guitar but you've also inspired me to get back to my piano, THANK YOU!
Thanks, I think this is the clearest explanation I've heard of the concept. You used a minimum of jargon, you defined any unfamiliar words before you used them, and best of all you told me WHY I should care about the circle in the first place ! I'm very glad I found your channel, subscribed. Shame about the awful jokes but I'll have to put up with them I suppose :)
Over the years of being self-taught I've managed to gather an understanding of the different keys' relationships by experimentation. It's nice to finally have explained the actual theory behind it. Indeed I did think "Is that it?" at the end of the video, not because I didn't think it was useful, but precisely because I realized I had already been putting it in practice for so long. It feels like I learned backwards lol
This is great, slightly different angle on it. Most people seem to confuse themselves trying to explain it. Been using an Android app called iJangle circle of 5ths as it plays the chords as you select notes which links the theory to actually hearing it.
I find it helpful when say I'm on the bus to work or walking to the market to play a game with my mind. I start with a root tone inside my head and sing inside my head a fifth up from that tone. Then a fifth up from the second tone. So I'm just sort of doing some mindful ear training. Then when I have my guitar in hand I'm singing in my head the perfect fifth relationships, moving in fifths and my fingers are following what I'm thinking. Then invert the fifth to a perfect 4th. And do the same. I find it to be fun musical theory game to play.
0:34 The Sunglasses Of Doubt! 😃 Edit after watching video all the way through: Good grief, Guy, I had no idea this Circle of 5th stuff was so easy! Thank you!!
Great stuff as always, Guy! And I can vouch for your Music Theory course, it is terrific and it really helped me to not only start being able to wrap my head around music theory... but it actually helped me become a lover of music theory, in general. Now it's one of my favorite subjects. Cheers!
I am vey slow with text and graphics and primarily a kinesthetic learner, so I will be going back over this short video, with my keyboard to let my hands interpret what you've told me and writing out the circle of fifths myself. As you began to map out the circle, you showed the 5 steps, C to G and then rushed on before saying if you were just following the white notes or the pattern WWHWWWH to get to the next step but I will see this shortly because my circle won't look like yours if you didn't. I have been an amateur musician/songwriter all my life and computers have helped enormously in overcoming my inability to follow musical notation, resulting in an unconventionally liberal idea of harmony based solely on what sounds right to me. However, when I see you find what pleases you by a systematic, knowledge-based technique, instead of fumbling around for ages, searching for the next chord (sunglasses,fog, the whole works), it's such a beautiful thing. Thank you.
I grew up on guitar chords. But, I had an AHA! moment as an adult when I had been loaned a piano after years of simple guitar playing. I started rote learning piano scales and chord fingerings, inverting chords and sussing things out from what my hands were teaching my brain. The muscle memory of the chords started to make my brain see what I couldn't grok before. I had a moment when I instantly realized I could improvise chords in any major key. I had no idea what they were called, my hands would just do it. The Heavens opened and the first bit of theory dropped into my smooth brain! But I never understood the good of the Circle of Fifths until today. Never to old to get some more music theory!
My teacher put ' revise the circle of fifths ' in my tuition log for this weeks homework and there's quite a few videos on it but this is the one that gets my vote and unlocked the mystique,removed the sunglasses and blew away the fog - so now i'm enlightened ! Thank you Guy - any relation to Cliff ?
I've had jazz players look down their noses at me (rock, country, blues, ballad, simple-jazz guitarist/keyboardist/bassist ear-player with poor score-reading skills) because I hadn't heard of, didn't understand, hadn't grasped the amazingly revelatory usefulness of, the mystical, magical Circle of 5ths. Having watched Guy's excellent video, I now feel as though someone has explained to me the mechanics of walking in order for me to be able to walk. I understand everything that's been said, my left eyebrow and even my left lip lifted ever-so slightly in mild interest at a couple of fun-facts (did you know your toes maintain contact with the ground about 75% of the time when walking?). But actually I could already walk. Somehow I'd managed to learn how to walk without having a picture on the wall showing how all the nerves, muscles, bones and tendons interact in order to make it possible. This video is a brilliant explanation of a concept that I'm sure is really useful to people who are struggling to break out from standard chord progressions etc. But next time I'm playing with some snob of an Academy-trained player who starts on about the Circle of 5ths, I shall remain smug in the knowledge that they probably needed to know and use it because their ears aren't good enough or they don't listen to, absorb and experiment with a wide enough range of music.
insecurity in comment form
Guy is seriously the music teacher I always wished I had growing up. He always makes things so engaging, easy to digest and most importantly easy to implement. Thanks Guy!
I suppose Your style of presentation is not everybody‘s cup of tea but I like it ! Refreshingly uninhibited and overenthusiastic ( in a good way).
A welcome change from all the knowledgeable and informative but somewhat dull musictutorials.
I also like Your „ Britishness“ .
Good to see something that cheers one up in these gloomy times of corona hysteria.
Thanks and keep up the good work. I may sign up for one of Your courses.
Best wishes: Peter
6 minutes in and i realised that my music theory teacher made me learn this using a pneumonic device. i just thought it helped me know all the notes in the major/minor scales bc of relative keys, i remember them by the 3 semitone (half step) rule.
To find the minor scale, go down 3 semitones. To find the major scale, go up 3 semitones.
You make it fun. I still don’t get it but I believe I saw a glimmer if hope with your teaching. Thank you. I’ll be back. 😬
7 is the magic number.Just count 7 semitones forward from C to get G, 7 to get D and so on until you have 7 keys after C. You can do the same thing in reverse. Count back 7 semitones from C you get F, 7 to Bb etc until you get 7 keys to the left of C. There's 7 sharp keys, 7 flat keys and there are 7 sharps or flats you can add (F ,C, G, D, A , E,). I like this system because you dont have to know scales to fill out a circle of fifths, only how to count seven semitones. Circle of fifths will tell you the scales and keys once its completed, no need to learn them in advance.
Not exactly the fastest way to get around but if it works for you…
OMG... I literally was just teaching this exact lesson 5 mins ago with my class. I'll be sharing this video next week with them. Thanks for the great content
Ha! great minds
I am French...I play guitar...have no music theory.....but your channel is so useful and clever that I follow you and try to understand all what you explain ! Thanks a lot Master 🥰 👍. Regards from France.
Despite my best efforts in the past, I've never really understood the circle of fifths. This explanation clarifies it all so simply that it's hard to know why I ever found it so complicated. It's a brilliant lesson and very entertaining with it. Thanks.
Thank you!
I can relate to this! I was quite confident but never really understood inversions, then I watched Guy's video and now I use them daily. Many thanks @GuyMichelmore!
But dating is hard
I am a piano teacher and I watch your videos because I absolutely love your way of teaching. From now on, i will teach the circle of fifths your way. Thanks!
Music theory needs an overhaul for engaging students, great to learn from his different approach
never thought of the circle of 5ths as a dating guide -- guess I should ask my husband what key he is (LOL)
Hopefully no a minor...
@@martijn_sleutelplank yes, that is true :)
Fuck zodiac signs, I'm all about that key
He is the guy with the front door key.
Dating within the family seems an unconventional approach, LOL.
After years of struggling with this, THANK YOUUUU🤩🙌🏻
Yours was the first video I watched on this and have watched like, 30 videos since and while practising, I keep coming back to this and it makes more and more sense each time - thank you :)
That chuckle at “8:00” into the lesson...same sense of humor. I saw you edit this out 😂.
You are a gifted teacher. Thank you for sharing this 🙏
You are a fab teacher. It takes a lot of sanctity for someone who is so knowledgeable to be able to have the ability to explain something so simple to ones own self which can be seen as complicated to others. You just taught me the circle of fifths, how amazing.
EUREKA! This is surely a miracle. After years of avoiding this topic, I finally made up my mind to start on it today. However each video I watched just left me feeling more and more baffled until I started to feel decidedly stupid. Just when I made up my mind to keep searching doggedly - regardless of increasing discouragement - until I found a glimmer of enlightenment, the very next video I chose was this one. Thank you. The fog has lifted, the sunglasses are off, and I am facing the right way armed with binoculars. Furthermore, it was FUN.
Hi Guy. Thanks for this video. I am one of those who fit the description you gave about the Circle of fifths. After seeing how you explain it, it makes more sense to me. The sunglasses are off, I'm looking in the right direction but there are still a few patches of fog. I'll just have to practice and I'm sure the fog will dissipate. Thanks again for this, and other, informative videos.
Almost done with the Music Theory course. It's helping me progress beyond my expectations. Fully plan to take advantage of the sale (30% off short courses) and take them all. Thanks Guy. Best teacher in the world.
Thank You Guy! You Help Me So Much with Your Music and I would Of Never of Been Where I am Today Without with your Video's!
Awesome! Marking this. I think the ThinkSpace Education videos on the circle of fifths were the best I’ve ever seen. Thanks Guy, for creating something my simple mind can understand! Haha!
Thank you
So I've been at tis stage where I could slightly change the keys in a limited range, but that one image 10:57 opened up a whole new way of looking at things, cause we can say the same exact thing about chords instead of thinking them as keys.
And my friend recently taught me the importance of chord inversions to change keys, so, I'm sure I'm going to improve a lot in improvisation.
Thanks a ton for this video!
This made my day! Just what I needed. THANK YOU!
Glad to help
Very clear explanation Guy, as usual!
If you go anti-clockwise it becomes the Circle of Fourths. You can easily work out the 2-5-1 progression (A common progression in Jazz which mostly uses the 'flat' side rather than the 'sharp' side of this circle, for those not aware). If you want the 2-5-1 of say Ab, you go two steps back to Bb, one step forward to Eb and one more step forward back to Ab...and that's your 2-5-1! It's brilliant :)
Merci beaucoup for this. I don't know why I clicked here since I have seen other videos, but this was entertaining and showed the circle in ways that really helped my understanding.
You've intrigued me so I think I'll watch another one.
5:30 right there that's the "key" I needed to hear to tie it all together for me.
I've done the course and can only commend it to anyone who plays music. Where were you 50 years ago when I needed you? - oh wait; don't answer that! Seriously though, music theory should be taught like this - always engaging, good explanation and better late than never (for the more "mature" person) - keep up the great work.
If only my teachers at school had been more like you.......thank you for sharing your talents and knowledge.....your delivery style entertains and informs without labour. In the nicest possible way you are the "Nutcracker suite" in a World that is currently more "The Rite of Spring".
I love this, I began my theory journey in April 2020, by day 3 I had watched over 5 different videos on this very topic for it to finally sink in, I got to the point of drawing this concentric circle off by heart, I wish your video had been available back in 2020 as i became fixated on this circle
This is the best explanation of The Circle of 5ths I have encountered. Thank you.
I am almost angry at how simple it really is. Bravo.
I learned how the circle of fifths works. Seeing it laid out on the keyboard is great but I want to apply it to the guitar fretboard. Thanks for your upbeat videos!
I watched rick beatos music theory videos and I could understand some as a beginner but you added and explained so many more concepts it makes so much more sense
I did all this 30 years ago but its always good to go over the basics again as I'd shoved it into a dark corner and it makes a lot of sense to remember this when using more complex key changing systems! :o)
I wonder how many people understand how difficult it is to teach like you do.
Thanks, Guy! You energize me every time I watch you.
Cristian (physician from Argentina living and working in the US).
Getting Started With Music Theory: Free course!
A brand new mini-series, teaching you the basics of music theory.
Sign up here: thinkspaceeducation.com/signup/getting-started-with-music-theory/
Hands down the best explanation of the circle of 5ths I found on youtube! And not only informative but fun to watch. Thank you so much! 😊
"And the one we dont mention....b diminished" lmao that had me cackling
b diminished...also known as a G7 without the G.
I use the "circle of minor seconds", which also goes around in twelve steps. It has the interesting property that if you go the other way, its the "circle of major sevenths". Also, the notes occur in the exact some order as the alphabet, which makes it really convenient to learn. The worst of the rest is the "Six Demonic Circles of Tritone". I'm of course not being entire serious here, but you can construct this kind of thing from other intervals, and in doing so, get some fascinating insights.
Love your style of teaching, you remind me of Keith Floyd the chef, presumably without the drink. Always manage to make it interesting and keep my attention.
very helpful video! I'm glad i found this Guy, you explain it in a way that is easy to understand, which is the part i've struggled with. I understood that they keys had relationships but i didn't really understand how to put them together. thanks!
Massive thanks Guy. The dating analogy really helps to understand it just a guide to help with music writing not a rigid instruction. I also really appreciate looking at the circle as first keys then chords. This is the first time I actually felt I understood what the circle was designed to show.
I really appreciate the way you explained it! This was truly helpful 😊
I've been (trying) to learn this circle, but now I finally what it's for! Thanks for the clear (and fun) explanation!
I’ve subscribed to your channel after watching this video. I’ve only recently been able to intelligently explain this to someone and this video was helpful for reinforcing theory.
I’ll recommend this video to anyone struggling to understand the circle of 5ths (and 4ths by proxy).
I would recommend adding the concept of order of sharps and flats to help folks pick out the notes in the scale, that’s when it really hit home for me.
Once you understand that each relative minor of the major key has the same amount of sharps or flats then it becomes super easy.
Also to anyone reading comments there are nice chord wheels out there that you can pick up for less than $20 bucks that allow you to pick a key and it tells you each chord/note in the scale. There are also printable versions you can use for quick reference.
Great thank you - so what are the other things people struggle with do you think?
I wanna thank you a lot for the relationship analogy. I don't easily learn things from being told, and often need analogies and yours makes me understand almost exactly how chords relate to one another.
PHANQUE Guy. That was really helpful. I've recently been writing to suit my voice, I'm a dreadful singer but have struggled to find other voices for my songs. I've found the key of A suits me well enough and I often change key to F, rather than the relative F#min, in a song for variety. Now I know I've been shopping in the wrong suburb though the change seems to work for me. Again, thanks. VERY helpful.
Simply great explanation. Even though I’m doing several of Guys courses, I love watching these videos. He never misses a chance to make stuff interesting and fun.
This is so clear.... I watched a lot of these and didn’t get the point... it could use some more exemples playes in different keys..
THANK YOU
I love his enthusiasm. I play by ear so this has been very helpful. Thanks so much.
Guy: "Take a wild guess HOW many sharps are in the key of A"
Me: 6!
Guy: "correct"
Me: :D I knew it!
Ha! I knew I should have said the number
I laugh a tad bit too hard at this lol
Brilliant :D
I might be getting dementia, but I don't understand. Why bold the HOW? Does that give away the number of sharps somehow? Argh.
@@M2Mil7er reflects how guy made his statement
You, my friend, are a very talented teacher! Thank you for finding the crack in my thick scull and teaching me the meaning of "Circle of 5ths"
Ha! Hubris, got you now! Glad I didn't skip the video, cuz I never noticed that the relative minors of adjacent keys(f, g) on the circle were actually in the scale (c) and make up the 2 and 3 chords. :D
Just started learning the piano, and really like your videos. Great work.
Another brilliant video. You are number 1 in my UA-cam list of tutors by far. Can I request a video of layering of samples (preferably BBC SO Core, which I have). To include how to build ensemble patches by using individual patches, if possible. As I have said before, because of my age, your Dad was a star aswell. All the best.
This structure is extremely visible on the guitar.
It's been my compositional compass for years.
Even before I knew what it was.
Great video - thanks from Vegas
Great lesson! One quick question though and I know it'll be a simple answer. As you had the circle diagram up, I noticed that the chords in a very familiar song, are off by one. House of the rising sun. Am, C, D, F, Am, C, Em. etc. As opposed to the Dm shown in the circle? Have I been playing it wrong, or did I miss something as I was tinkering at the same time as watching?
Cheers Guy, removing my sunglasses of doubt with every video!
Not long ago a mixing video , and today a video on the circle of fifths; I will be finished with your bartending course very soon.
Man..your videos are sooo good...and fresh and hilarous! A pleasure to watch ! Thanks !
Thank you so so very much! I was able to understand bits and pieces of this before but it has never been put so plainly for me to understand until now! Absolutely wonderful.
And your jokes are good.
Finally......it just clicked in my brain!! thank you thank you for explaining it. this is huge
Need a video about Diminished and Augmented chords( &other chords than maj and min) and their uses/specialities..??
When I think chords I just think minor and major thirds and stack them in all the different combinations. Min- maj = minor chord, maj- min = major chord, min-min is diminished, maj-maj is augmented. Dim and aug chords create tension and want to resolve ( just as sus2 and sus4)
You are an awesome music teacher! Well explained!
Thank you, Guy! I recently did a course in the fundamentals of music theory. They did the circle of fifths. Maybe I should have worked it out, but not once did they mention the 4-1-5 2-6-3 relationship. I've been trying to work it out each time, but it's right there!!! I'll be taking the circle of fifths I printed out, out of the drawer it currently lives in and pinning it to my wall.
Ive done a 180, and the fog is cleared. Thank you!
Yes it is indispensable. Along with the circle of fifths, on the same mini poster in my studio I have a “chain of thirds” to help me build chords. The sharps and flats are omitted in the thirds but can be calculated from the cycle of fifths.
Most useful video I watched this year , thank's!
Very humorous and informative, thank you!
I remember being taught scales on a piano many years ago and they used numbers for everything. So instead of saying whole step whole step half step etc, they would say, 2212221 for a Major and 2122122 for a Minor. Just be sure not to count the root note as 1 and only start counting on the next note from C which would be C#. They did the same with Chords too. It was a really good simple method to help beginners.
I normally sit in the corner with a voice in my head telling me ‘you can’t’ do this! I kind of get it now.. A little more work and I think I should be able to sit on the couch..🤣👍🇦🇺
I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD IT FOR THE FIRST TIME OMG THANK YOU
You my friend have a new follower today..!! Completely cleared up all my confusion..!! BAD BOY!!! (It’s a good thing)😂😂
Excellent !
Why wasn’t music theory taught that excentric and passionnating way at school, when i was a kid ?
I really enjoyed this video and, most of all, now i can get rid of my sun glasses.
Thanks a lot.
Guy.. I'm a recent subscriber...love the channel, you've clarified some foggy theory I've had, Circle of Fifths being one of them. I normally play guitar but you've also inspired me to get back to my piano, THANK YOU!
Allways to the point. Thx Guy. You are the best.
Thanks, I think this is the clearest explanation I've heard of the concept. You used a minimum of jargon, you defined any unfamiliar words before you used them, and best of all you told me WHY I should care about the circle in the first place ! I'm very glad I found your channel, subscribed. Shame about the awful jokes but I'll have to put up with them I suppose :)
Over the years of being self-taught I've managed to gather an understanding of the different keys' relationships by experimentation. It's nice to finally have explained the actual theory behind it. Indeed I did think "Is that it?" at the end of the video, not because I didn't think it was useful, but precisely because I realized I had already been putting it in practice for so long. It feels like I learned backwards lol
This is great, slightly different angle on it. Most people seem to confuse themselves trying to explain it.
Been using an Android app called iJangle circle of 5ths as it plays the chords as you select notes which links the theory to actually hearing it.
5:35 very important point. And fascinating to me that the ordering of the notes which change one at a time also follows the circle of fifths.
its crazy how good you are at teaching. the circle of 5ths has baffled me before watching your vid
Nice! Just took your theory course which explained it very well. This just helped reinforce it. Thank you!
Great! more new stuff being added to the course shortlty so look out for that
it's a fantastic analogy nailed right inside my brain xD cheers dr.!
Great video! I finally got the basics of it.
Maybe the best explanation I've seen so far. It's mind blowing. Thank you sir. 🙏
Excellent ! Simply the best explanation of the circle of 5th!
Thank you,as always Guy
You're such a good teacher!
Ace! thank you for putting it so simply 🙂
Wow, this is Awesome, easy to understand, let's Rock n Roll now
Another fantastic video Guy! Intellectual but simple, informative but amusing.
I find it helpful when say I'm on the bus to work or walking to the market to play a game with my mind. I start with a root tone inside my head and sing inside my head a fifth up from that tone. Then a fifth up from the second tone. So I'm just sort of doing some mindful ear training. Then when I have my guitar in hand I'm singing in my head the perfect fifth relationships, moving in fifths and my fingers are following what I'm thinking. Then invert the fifth to a perfect 4th. And do the same. I find it to be fun musical theory game to play.
Best teacher on UA-cam or world.
0:34 The Sunglasses Of Doubt! 😃 Edit after watching video all the way through: Good grief, Guy, I had no idea this Circle of 5th stuff was so easy! Thank you!!
Great stuff as always, Guy! And I can vouch for your Music Theory course, it is terrific and it really helped me to not only start being able to wrap my head around music theory... but it actually helped me become a lover of music theory, in general. Now it's one of my favorite subjects. Cheers!
You're simply amazing! Thank you so much!
I am vey slow with text and graphics and primarily a kinesthetic learner, so I will be going back over this short video, with my keyboard to let my hands interpret what you've told me and writing out the circle of fifths myself.
As you began to map out the circle, you showed the 5 steps, C to G and then rushed on before saying if you were just following the white notes or the pattern WWHWWWH to get to the next step but I will see this shortly because my circle won't look like yours if you didn't.
I have been an amateur musician/songwriter all my life and computers have helped enormously in overcoming my inability to follow musical notation, resulting in an unconventionally liberal idea of harmony based solely on what sounds right to me. However, when I see you find what pleases you by a systematic, knowledge-based technique, instead of fumbling around for ages, searching for the next chord (sunglasses,fog, the whole works), it's such a beautiful thing. Thank you.
Brilliant explanation!