How to Use the Circle of Fifths for Pro Chord Writing

To write non-diatonic progressions with the circle of fifths, move between neighbouring major chords such as C, F, Bb and Eb, or C, G and D, because each neighbour shares a common note and the change sounds smooth even outside one key.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 14 min

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This theory tip from Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows how to use the circle of fifths to write chord progressions that step outside a single key. It is for songwriters, composers and pianists who already know basic major and minor chords and want more interesting harmony without adding sevenths or ninths. The idea works on any instrument that plays chords.

What non-diatonic means

Most songs use diatonic chords, the chords built from one scale. In C major those are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B diminished. A non-diatonic progression uses chords that do not all belong to one scale. In this lesson you keep plain major chords but choose them from the circle of fifths instead of from a scale.

The circle of fifths

Write C at 12 o'clock. Moving clockwise, each note is a perfect fifth above the last:

• Clockwise: C, G, D, A, E, B, F# (or Gb)
• Anti-clockwise from C: F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db (or C#)

Some notes can be spelt either way, such as Ab or G#, Db or C#, and Gb or F#. The fifth matters because almost every scale, Western, Indian or Spanish, contains a root and a fifth.

Why neighbouring chords connect smoothly

Build a major chord on any note and compare it with its neighbours. C major is C E G. To its left is F major (F A C), which shares C. To its right is G major (G B D), which shares G. That shared note, a common tone, gives a smooth transition even when the chords belong to different keys.

Building a progression step by step

1. Move one way around the circle. Play C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab going anti-clockwise, or C, G, D, A, E, B going clockwise. Listen to how each chord flows into the next.
2. Vary the rhythm. You do not have to give every chord equal time. Hold some longer and pass through others quickly.
3. Go out and come back. You do not need the whole circle. Try moving about three steps out and three steps back, for example C, F, Bb, Eb, Bb, F, C.
4. Jump back home on a common tone. From Eb you can return straight to C, because Eb major (Eb G Bb) and C major share G. You can also go on to Ab major (Ab C Eb), which contains C and leads naturally back to C.
5. Skip a chord. A progression such as C, F, Eb, C also works well.
6. Add a melody. Playing a melody line over the chords makes the progression sound more musical.

A useful rule: if the last chord of your sequence shares a note with the first, the loop back to the start sounds natural.

Colouring a chord over a held bass

You can also use the circle on top of chords you already have. Say a song stays on C major for a while. Keep C sounding in the left hand and let the right hand move through circle-of-fifths chords such as Eb, Bb and F major before returning. The bass stays constant while the harmony above shifts colour, which makes a long chord much more interesting.

How to practise

• Learn the circle by heart in both directions, starting from C.
• Play the major chords around the circle clockwise, then anti-clockwise, and listen for the shared notes.
• Write short loops that go a few steps out and return to C, using common tones to choose your way back.
• Over a held C in the left hand, try different circle chords in the right hand.
• Listen to Elton John and progressive rock bands such as Yes and Dream Theater, who use circle-of-fifths movement often.

Questions about this lesson

How does the circle of fifths help with chord progressions?

Each note on the circle is a fifth from its neighbours, and major chords built on neighbouring notes share a common tone. That shared note makes the change between chords smooth, even when they come from different keys.

Do I have to play every chord around the circle in order?

No. You can move a few steps out and back, skip a chord as in C, F, Eb, C, or vary how long each chord lasts.

Why can I go straight from Eb major back to C major?

Eb major (Eb G Bb) and C major (C E G) share the note G, so the jump sounds smooth. Ab major also contains C, so it leads back to C easily.

Can I use this on a song that already has diatonic chords?

Yes. While a chord such as C is held, keep C in the bass and move the right hand through circle-of-fifths chords like Eb, Bb and F to add colour.

Practise it

• Circle of FifthsExplore the Circle of Fifths through keys, scales, chords and intervals.
• Chord TreesStart from a note and explore related chords, inversions and voicings.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

Related lessons

• Chord Progressions on Piano: Write Epic Ones with the Circle of FifthsTo write an epic chord progression with the Circle of Fifths, pick a tonal centre such as C, step a few positions away from it on the flat side (for example to Ab), then play major chords moving up in fifths back home: Ab, Eb, Bb, F, C, a chain of plagal (IV–I) movements.
• How to Use Secondary Dominant Chords to Write Colourful MusicA secondary dominant is the major or dominant seventh chord built a perfect fifth above any diatonic chord except the tonic; in Bb major these are G7 to Cm, A7 to Dm, Bb7 to Eb, C7 to F and D7 to Gm, and Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music is built almost entirely around them.
• 10 Types of Cadences Explained: Theory, Ear Training and PianoA cadence is a short chord progression of two to four chords, such as V–I (authentic), IV–I (plagal), V–vi (deceptive) or i–bVII–bVI–V (Andalusian), used to end, extend or redirect a musical phrase.
• 15 of the Most Popular Chord Progressions on Piano (Major, Minor and Modal)Popular piano chord progressions in the key of F include I–vi–IV–V (F Dm Bb C), I–V–vi–IV and its rotations, ii–V–I, the minor i–bVII–v–bVI, the Andalusian i–bVII–bVI–V, the Dorian i–bIII–bVII–IV, the Mixolydian bVII–IV–I, the 12-bar blues, the Canon progression and the line cliché.