The Key Cycle

Lesson 14/142 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Complete Scales, Modes & Improvising

The Key Cycle

There are many reasons why you need to be able to play equally well in every key. Bands often have to play in keys that suit their singer. That could be F# or Db for example. Keyboard players tend to like the keys of C, F and G, while E and A are fairly common keys for guitar. Horn players like flat keys such as F, Bb and EB, Apart from this. Jazz tunes often contain many key changes in themselves. For these reasons, you need to learn how keys relate to each other so you can move quickly between them.

One way to do this is to use the key cycle (also called the cycle of 5ths or cycle of 4ths).

Think of the key cycle like a clock. Just as there are 12 points on the clock, there are also 12 keys. C is at the top and contains no sharps or flats. Moving around clockwise you will find the next key is G, which contains one sharp (F#). The next key is D, which contains two sharps (F# and C# ). Progressing further through the sharp keys each key contains an extra sharp, with the new sharp being the 7th note (degree) of the new key. Therefore the key of A would automatically contain F# and C# which were in the key of D, plus G# which is the 7th note of the A major scale. When you get to F# (at 6 o'clock), the new sharp is called Es which is enharmonically the same as F. Remember that enharmonic means two different ways of writing the same note. Another example of enharmonic spelling would be F# and Gb. This means that Gb could become the name of the key of F#. The key of F# contains six sharps, while the key of Cb contains six flats - all of which are exactly the same notes.

If you start at C again at the top of the cycle and go anti-dockwise you will progress through the flat keys. The key of F contains one flat (Bb), which then becomes the name of the next key around the cycle. In flat keys, the new flat is always the 4th degree of the new key. Continuing around the cycle, the key of Bb contains two flats(Bb and Eb) and so on. Practice playing all the notes around the cycle, both clockwise and anticlockwise. Once you can do this, play chords around th e cycle as demonstrated on the next page.

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Peter Gelling

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1- Electronic Tuner 2- The Major Scale 3- Mode Formulas 4- Minor Keys and Scales 5- Minor Pentatonic Scale 6- Learnin G The Guitar Fretboard 7- 12 Bar Blues 8- Fretboard Diagrams 9- C Major Scale in Open Position 10- Moveable Fingerings 11- The Natural Minor Scale 12- Minor Pentatonic in Five Forms 13- Notes on the Guitar Fretboard 14- Turnaround Progressions 15- Tablature 16- Modes 17- Creating Music From Scales 18- The Harmonic Minor Scale 19- Licks Using the Minor Pentatonic 20- Notes in More Than One Place 21- More on Chord Substitution 22- Music Notation 23- Scale Tone Chords 24- Playing What You Hear 25- The Melodic Minor Scale 26- Blues Scale 27- Position Playing 28- Turnaround Chord Substitution 29- Note and Rest Values 30- Major Key Triad Pattern 31- Dorian Mode 32- Relative Keys 33- Blues Scale In Five Forms 34- Higher and Lower Versions of Notes 35- Substitution and Context 36- Rhythm Notation 37- Modes and Scale Tone Chords 38- Licks Using The Dorian Mode 39- Moveable Minor Scales 40- Licks Using the Blues Scale 41- Major Scales 42- Triad Over Root Substitutions 43- Time Signatures 44- More on Modes and Chords 45- Phrygian Mode 46- Five Forms of The Natural Minor 47- Enharmonic Notes 48- Sharps and Flats 49- Using 7th Chords To Create 9ths 50- Tablature Symbols 51- The Chromatic Scale 52- Licks Using the Phrygian Mode 53- Relative Major and Minor Fingerings 54- Major Pentatonic Scale 55- The Chromatic Scale 56- Substitutions in Minor Keys 57- Sequences 58- Lydian Mode 59- Harmonic Minor Scale Fingerings 60- Major Pentatonic in Five Forms 61- More About Major Scales 62- Secondary Dominants 63- Scale Degrees 64- Licks Using the Lydian Mode 65- Harmonic Minor in Five Forms 66- Licks Using the Major Pentatonic 67- Keys and Key Signatures 68- Tritone Substitution 69- Visualizing Scale Degrees 70- Mixolydian Mode 71- Licks Using the Harmonic Minor 72- Relative Major and Minor Pentatonics 73- Sharp Key Signatures 74- The II V I Progression 75- Scale Degrees Dpplied to Modes 76- Licks Using the Mixolydian Mode 77- Melodic Minor Scale 78- Whole Tone Scale 79- Flat Key Signatures 80- I Becomes II 81- Major Keys 82- Aeolian Mode 83- Melodic Minor in Five Forms 84- Moveable Fingerings 85- The Key Cycle 86- Memorizing Chord Progressions 87- Licks Using the Aeolian Mode 88- Licks Using the Melodic Minor 89- Diminished Scale 90- Using the Key Cycle 91- Modulation 92- Locrian Mode 93- Other Minor Key Modes 94- Moveable Fingerings 95- Major Scales in All Keys 96- V Becomes II 97- Licks Using the Locrian Mode 98- Intervals 99- Jam Along Progressions 100- Modes in Minor Keys 101- Finding Intervals on The Fretboard 102- Learning Songs 103- Identifying Intervals By Ear 104- Tuning Your Guitar 105- Chord Construction 106- Chord Formula Chart 107- Chord Symbols and Alternatives 108- How to Read Sheet Music 109- Transposing 110- How to Transpose 111- The Capo 112- Power Chords 113- Chords Using 4ths 114- Chord Construction Using Intervals 115- Major Key Scale Tone Chords 116- Major Key Triad Pattern 117- Scale Tone Chords Along The Strings 118- Primary Chords 119- Harmonizing Melodies 120- Common Progressions 121- Scale Tone 7th Pattern 122- Scale Tone 7th Chords in All Keys 123- Extended Scale Tone Chords 124- Voice Leading 125- Guide Tones 126- Using Guide Tones 127- Other Guide Tones 128- Guide Tones in Modes 129- Minor Key Scale Tone Triads 130- Minor Key Chord Progressions 131- Melodic Minor Scale Tone Chords 132- Scale Tone 7ths in Minor Keys 133- Higher Extensions in Minor Keys 134- Altered Chords Chart 135- Slash Chords 136- Pedal Tones 137- Moving Bass Lines Under a Chord 138- Chords With More Than One Name 139- Harmonizing Modes 140- Minor Key Modes 141- 6ths 142- 3rds

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The Key Cycle

The Key Cycle

Peter Gelling

Class Sessions

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