MusicLesson 2 of 2 in the course Scales and harmony

Circle of Fifths: Key Relationships, Tuning, and Harmonic Use

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

The circle of fifths is a visual way to organize the twelve pitch classes by the interval of a perfect fifth. It also reveals relationships between keys and their key signatures.

C – G – D – A – E – B – F♯ – C♯ – G♯ – D♯ – A♯ – F – C

The notes return to C after twelve steps in the usual twelve-tone equal-tempered system. Some notes can be written with either sharps or flats: for example, F♯ and G♭ are enharmonically equivalent in equal temperament. The same applies to C♯/D♭, G♯/A♭, D♯/E♭, and A♯/B♭.

All flashcards

What is the Pythagorean comma?
The amount by which twelve justly tuned perfect fifths exceed seven octaves, about 23.46 cents.
What is a relative minor key?
A minor key that shares its relative major's key signature but has a different tonic.
What is modulation?
A change of tonal center from one key to another.
What is a wolf fifth?
An unusually dissonant closing interval left by some tuning approaches.
What does a diatonic circle organize?
Notes and chords drawn from one diatonic scale, rather than all twelve chromatic pitch classes.

Quiz questions

  1. What is the name of the mismatch by which twelve just perfect fifths exceed seven octaves?Answer: The Pythagorean comma
  2. In twelve-tone equal temperament, what frequency ratio does a standard perfect fifth have?Answer: 27/122^{7/12}
  3. In the diatonic circle of C major, what interval separates F and B?Answer: A diminished fifth
  4. What does modulation mean in tonal music?Answer: A change from one tonal center to another
  5. In what year did Mykola Dyletsky's *Grammatika* include an early circle diagram?Answer: 1677

Based on the Wikipedia article Circle of fifths, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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