Understanding the Circle of Fifths
Many people choose to learn a musical
instrument intuitively, without tackling the tedious and often boring
theoretical details, while others decide to gain a thorough knowledge and
understanding of music theory as well. The best method is probably the golden
middle way: learning a little bit of theory and practicing a lot.
If you are currently looking for the most
important principle of music theory that you need to become familiar with, you
have probably come across the circle of fifths already. The circle of fifths is
essentially a diagram used for helping music students understand the 24 minor
and major keys and the relationship between the keys. The fifths in the name
refers to musical intervals and the diagram is a circle divided in 12 fifths,
representing the 12 musical notes as well as the key of each note. The top of
the circle is marked with the note C and as you move in the clockwise
direction, the notes move in fifths.
The circle is a simple tool of illustrating how
the chromatic scale of Western music works, how the notes relate to each other.
The visual representation makes it easier for music learners to memorize the
sequence of notes – the diagram might seem complicated at first, but once you
get the gist of it, you will surely consider it a very useful tool to learn the
theory of music.
If you are interested in finding quality used instruments in Colorado Springs, take a look at Music Go Round online inventory. They will also point you in the right direction for musical training and education as well.