How many sharps or flats does each key have?

Read the circle like a clock. For sharp keys the hour is the count: G at 1 o’clock has one sharp, then D two, A three, E four, B five, F♯ six and C♯ seven. For flat keys, count back from 12: F has one flat, then B♭ two, E♭ three, A♭ four, D♭ five, G♭ six and C♭ seven. C major has none.

What is the order of sharps and flats?

Sharps are always added in the order F C G D A E B, and flats in the reverse order, B E A D G C F. The order of sharps is the circle itself read clockwise from F, so there is no separate list to learn.

How do you find the relative minor of a major key?

Take the 6th note of the major scale, three semitones below the key’s name: the relative minor of C major is A minor, of G major E minor, of F major D minor. The two keys share all seven notes and the same key signature; only the home note changes.

Why is it called the circle of fifths?

Each step clockwise moves up a fifth: count five letter names from C — C, D, E, F, G — and you reach G. Twelve steps of a fifth pass through every key and come back to the start, so the keys close into a circle.

Why are F♯ and G♭ in the same place?

They sound the same and are written two ways: F♯ major with six sharps, G♭ major with six flats. B and C♭, and C♯ and D♭, are pairs too. The wheel keeps the spelling of the side you came from, and Respell swaps between them.

Why does the minor key’s cadence use a minor v chord?

Relative minor uses the natural minor — exactly the seven notes of its relative major — so the chord on its 5th note is minor: i–iv–v–i. Much music raises the 7th note in a minor key to make that chord major, but that note lies outside the shared key signature.

Is anything sent to a server?

No. The wheel runs in your browser. The piano is a recording cached on your device after first use, and your settings and best quiz streak are kept in this browser’s local storage.

Circle of Fifths

A free, interactive circle of fifths for learning key signatures — for beginners meeting sharps and flats, students preparing for theory exams, and players who want to know why each key has the sharps it has. No sign-up; install it and it works offline. Turn the wheel to any of the 15 major keys or their relative minors to see the scale on a staff and a keyboard, hear it on piano, and read how many sharps or flats it has. Each step clockwise adds one sharp and each step anticlockwise adds one flat, and the tool names which one and why. Learn the order of sharps and flats with the clock and BEAD shortcuts, then test yourself: find the key with four sharps, or five flats, on the wheel.

How to use Circle of Fifths

Turn the wheel: drag it round, tap a key, or use the ← and → keys. The amber segment is the key, and the centre names it with its key signature. Where a key has two spellings, such as F♯ and G♭, Respell swaps them.
In Scales, see the scale on a treble staff and a keyboard. Play scale plays it up and back down, Chord plays the home chord, and I–IV–V–I plays a cadence.
In Sharps & flats, each step clockwise adds one sharp and each step anticlockwise adds one flat. Turn the wheel names the sharp or flat that changed, and the order of sharps and flats fills in.
Learn the shortcuts in Remember it — read the wheel like a clock, or spell BEAD for flats — then press Start in Test yourself and find each key on the wheel.
In Relative minor, switch between a major key and the minor key that shares its notes, or tap the inner ring. Hear both plays one cadence after the other.
In Why?, three short steps show why each key sits where it does: count five letter names, slide the scale pattern to the new key, and compare the two halves of the scale.

Frequently asked questions

How many sharps or flats does each key have?: Read the circle like a clock. For sharp keys the hour is the count: G at 1 o’clock has one sharp, then D two, A three, E four, B five, F♯ six and C♯ seven. For flat keys, count back from 12: F has one flat, then B♭ two, E♭ three, A♭ four, D♭ five, G♭ six and C♭ seven. C major has none.
What is the order of sharps and flats?: Sharps are always added in the order F C G D A E B, and flats in the reverse order, B E A D G C F. The order of sharps is the circle itself read clockwise from F, so there is no separate list to learn.
How do you find the relative minor of a major key?: Take the 6th note of the major scale, three semitones below the key’s name: the relative minor of C major is A minor, of G major E minor, of F major D minor. The two keys share all seven notes and the same key signature; only the home note changes.
Why is it called the circle of fifths?: Each step clockwise moves up a fifth: count five letter names from C — C, D, E, F, G — and you reach G. Twelve steps of a fifth pass through every key and come back to the start, so the keys close into a circle.
Why are F♯ and G♭ in the same place?: They sound the same and are written two ways: F♯ major with six sharps, G♭ major with six flats. B and C♭, and C♯ and D♭, are pairs too. The wheel keeps the spelling of the side you came from, and Respell swaps between them.
Why does the minor key’s cadence use a minor v chord?: Relative minor uses the natural minor — exactly the seven notes of its relative major — so the chord on its 5th note is minor: i–iv–v–i. Much music raises the 7th note in a minor key to make that chord major, but that note lies outside the shared key signature.
Is anything sent to a server?: No. The wheel runs in your browser. The piano is a recording cached on your device after first use, and your settings and best quiz streak are kept in this browser’s local storage.

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