Originally Posted By: Joe V
as always - thanks so much for the great advice, examples, and links.

Now some related questions - I've read that it is very important for musicians to know the 'circle of 4ths' - or 'circle of 5ths'.

Now I have memorized it - pretty easy:
C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A D G...C F

My questions:
1.) what is the difference between the circle of 4ths and 5ths

2.) when you play the circles, do you do it with chord qualities of all majors, or all minors, or all 7ths ? If so, can you share some particular song examples

3.) what are some other ways to apply these circles directly into:
a.) transcribing songs
b.) your compositions

Am I even asking the right questions - do I 'know' what I 'don't know', or do I NOT know what I don't know lol


The circle of fourths ascending is identical to the circle of fifth descending, and vica versa

There are other cycles: chromatic, whole tone, diminished.

For blues the most important are the whole tone descending, and the cycle of fourths ascending and fifths ascending, as these are used regularly in the 12 bar

If you can visualise the circle of fourths, then you can take a lot from it, apart from just the fourths. For example, the II V I is laid along its borders (one to the left one ti the right of a given position), and the minor thirds are at 90 degrees to each other. |Also the key signatures are easily arranged. Did you notice that 2#s (D) (is opposite 2 bs (Bb) and three flats opposite three sharps, etc...

I once made a clock with the cycle on it. You can buy them too, but making one in grained the image in my head.

Can you see the whole cycle (4th) thing in your head? For instance what is opposite Eb on the cycle?
Z

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