The Circle of 5ths is an important tool for understanding music theory. So at some point, you’re going to want to know how it works.
You see it everywhere – In the beginning of guitar books, music posters, and on chord progression charts you might pick up from Amazon or your local music store.
In college, music students memorize it backwards and forwards – it’s a critical part of their music theory courses. And something they start using every day.
But what does it really do for you?
And more importantly- how does it help your jazz guitar playing?
Let’s take a look at the circle of 5ths and how you can use it to improve your jazz guitar playing.
The Basics of the Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths is a visual tool that can help you understand all kinds of things.
From the relationships between the twelve tones of the chromatic scale, to key signatures, to learning about major and minor keys.
It is usually drawn as a circle, with note names and other information around the outside.
You’ll typically see:
- The major key
- The relative Minor Key
- And sometimes the key signature for written music
This makes it a great visual reference for basic music theory information. Here’s an example I’ve put together:
I tend to focus on the keys themselves, so I don’t include key signatures for written music. A quick google search for “circle of 5ths” will show you plenty of examples with key signatures if you’re interested.
The Significance of Relative Minor Keys
Each major key has what we call a “relative minor” key as well. These both share the same key signature, scale, and notes – but have different names.
That’s because the relative minor scale starts on a different note.
For our purposes, the rule is this:
The 6th note of a major scale is the root of a relative minor scale.
Take your major scale pattern, and find the 6th note. That’s where you start if you want to find the relative minor key.
This is sometimes called the Natural Minor Scale – and you can check out my full lesson on how to play it here.
Including these relative minor keys is a great way to improve your overall theory knowledge, and help you decide what key a song is in by looking at the key signature and chord progressions.
The Circle of Fifths and the “Cycle” Perspective
While it’s usually presented as a circle in a graphic, the circle of 5ths is sometimes referred to as a “cycle” instead.
This is the term I learned in the first place – but a lot of people learn it as a circle. It’s the same concept either way – but it’s a good idea to know both terms.
Thinking of it as a cycle translates into thinking of this as a chord progression that can be repeated.
This helps you develop your own exercise to practice scales, chords, arpeggios, and licks in every key. Moving through the chord progression “cycle” can help simulate working through the changes of a jazz standard.
It also really gets the theory into your head, ears, and fingers. When you’re using the cycle as a tool for developing your skills, you’re really going to understand it better.
I like this more hands-on approach to using theory – that’s why I build it in to most of my teaching.
You’re actually using the theory to practice, so the cycle of 5ths gets learned faster – and sticks with you longer.
The Circle of Fourths in Jazz Guitar
The circle of 4ths is the same thing as the circle of 5ths… only backwards. 2 things change when you think about it as 4ths instead of 5ths:
- You move the opposite way around the circle
- You get the flat keys instead of the sharp keys
This can be kind of a confusing point for people, especially if you overthink it. So try not to think too hard.
If you can, just treat these as 2 separate chord progressions – the cycle of 5ths, and the cycle of 4ths.
Cycle of 5ths
Cycle of 4ths
Over time, I’ve found that the way you learned music to start with has an influence on whether you learn the cycle of 5ths or the cycle of 4ths.
People in piano lessons, or learning in another classical setting like orchestra tend to think more in sharp keys – and use the circle of 5ths to understand how music works.
People who learned through wind band or jazz specific lessons tend to think more in flat keys – and use the circle of 4ths as a main part of their practice.
Either way you like to think of it is fine – they’re both correct terms.
That being said, I find that thinking in terms of the cycle of 4ths is more useful for jazz players. This is because the chord progressions in jazz tend to follow the circle of 4ths.
So when you practice that particular cycle, you’re getting used to the way chords tend to move in jazz music.
Exploring ii-V-I Progressions
The ii V I progression is a great example of chord progressions that follow the cycle of 4ths.
Check out the example below:
And now compare it to the circle of 4ths example:
This type of motion is common throughout jazz music. So it’s a good idea to start working on your cycle of 4ths (or circle of 4ths) in addition to the circle of 5ths you may already be familiar with.
Practicing the Circle of 5ths (or 4ths) for Jazz Guitar
Practicing the circle of 5ths or 4ths is easy to work into your jazz guitar practice time. First, think of it as a cycle, or chord progression instead of the traditional “circle” concept.
These progressions are perfect for helping you work out your scales, arpeggios, chords, and licks in all 12 keys. And they’ll help you make your skills usable next time you jam with friends or go to a rehearsal
The cycle of 4ths and cycle of 5ths are still a part of my daily practice routine.
If I’m working on a scale shape, I’ll play it all over the neck using one of these cycles as a guide. Same goes for chords, arpeggio patterns, you name it.
So pick something to work on, and start using the circle of 5ths or circle of 4ths as a practice template. You’ll be coming up with your own jazz guitar exercises in no time.
For more guitar-friendly music theory, check out Fretboard Theory by Desi Serna (affiliate link). It’s a great book that puts the basics of music theory right on the fretboard – where it belongs.
Conclusion
The circle of 5ths is an essential tool for learning more about music theory and improving your jazz guitar playing.
You can work through it one way, and it’s called the circle of fifths. The other way, and it’s called the circle of fourths.
They’re both correct, they just give you different chord progressions to work through. And help you locate different note names on the fretboard.
Thinking in terms of 4ths is a little more practical for jazz guitar though – so spend a little extra time with that one.
It’s helpful to convert these “circles” into “cycles” – or chord progressions that you can use to practice your skills and generate your own exercises. Start doing this, and you’ll have this essential music theory tool internalized in no time!
Do you use the circle of 5ths (or 4ths) in your own practice? Let me know in the comments below.