circle of fifths

rangolf · #1 09-08-2002, 10:03 AM

Where can I find info 'bout circle of fifths? I ' preciate the help!

Mike N · #2 09-08-2002, 02:17 PM

Try this.......

Yo pkr2, here's that post I promised (Circle of 5ths)

Monte · #3 09-08-2002, 06:04 PM

Learn the circle of 4ths; it is more important in pop / jazz harmony. Repeat to yourself over and over C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A D G

Monte

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #4 09-08-2002, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SLANGELF
Where can I find info 'bout circle of fifths? I ' preciate the help!

Well, you could find it by looking for it, but no harm is done since the day was saved by MACKIN'.

Also, keep in mind that the circle of 5ths/4ths is different for the BG (Big Guitar) and DB (Doghouse Bass), in that the Circle for BG usually sounds more in tune.

(rim shot)

Moved to BG General Instruction.

moley · #5 09-11-2002, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Learn the circle of 4ths; it is more important in pop / jazz harmony

Erm, it's the same thing... A 4th up is a 5th down and vice versa. It's just the same thing in reverse.

Monte · #6 09-11-2002, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by moley

Erm, it's the same thing... A 4th up is a 5th down and vice versa. It's just the same thing in reverse.

HOLEYTHEORY

Yes, technically, but you learn up the circle usually. A 4th up IS a 5th down, but I find students can more readily use 4ths by learning the circle that way.

Monte

stephanie · #7 09-11-2002, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Monte
Learn the circle of 4ths; it is more important in pop / jazz harmony...

Does this have something to do with chord movement? (Ex: a I IV V I is a common progression. In the key of C that would be C F G C. We move counter-clockwise through the circle of 4ths to get to F.)

Please explain this more...

Thanks,

Stephanie

Monte · #8 09-11-2002, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stephanie

Does this have something to do with chord movement?

Thanks,
Stephanie

Yes,

Circle of 5ths and 4ths is just semantics on which way to learn them. I prefer learning in 4ths because this a more common way chords move. A iii-vi-ii-V-I would be a common progression, which is all movement in 4ths.

For this reason, I practice scales, arpeggios, and licks up in 4ths (C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-etc....), because that is likely how I will see them in a tune.

Monte

rangolf · #9 09-11-2002, 02:16 PM

Thank you for your replies. I'll study this until i'm "Blue Note" in my face. Ran.

stephanie · #10 09-11-2002, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Monte

Yes,

Circle of 5ths and 4ths is just semantics on which way to learn them. I prefer learning in 4ths because this a more common way chords move. A iii-vi-ii-V-I would be a common progression, which is all movement in 4ths.

For this reason, I practice scales, arpeggios, and licks up in 4ths (C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-etc....), because that is likely how I will see them in a tune.

Monte

Thanks for clearing that up for me Monte.

Howard K · #11 09-13-2002, 06:44 AM

I remember it in 5ths like this:

Can Get Down Almost Every Beat, F...

C - G - D - A - E - B - F#/Gb - C#/Db - G#/Ab - D#/Eb - A#/Bb - F

I'm one of those moronic people who has to do stuff like this to remember anything whatsoever!

Gard · #12 09-13-2002, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Howard K
I remember it in 5ths like this:

Can Get Down Almost Every Beat, F...

C - G - D - A - E - B - F#/Gb - C#/Db - G#/Ab - D#/Eb - A#/Bb - F

I'm one of those moronic people who has to do stuff like this to remember anything whatsoever!

Well, that's fine, except you want to actually use the circle the other way...

...here's how I teach my students to memorize the circle in descending 5th (or ascending 4th) order:

C-F, BEAD-G (with flats; i.e. C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb), BEAD-G

As for the "ascending 4th vs. descending 5th" semantics - I prefer to use the descending 5ths nomenclature (hadda break out the dictionary for that one!

). Yes, it's exactly the same, but when you're referring to harmonic movement (which is what it's all about), that is exactly what is happening: C is the 5th of F, F is the 5th of Bb, etc, etc. You should think of the motion as V-I (or ii-V, or vi-ii, or...), NOT as I-IV. How you think of something while you are practicing does matter, you should think of it as it is going to function when you are actually playing.

Howard K · #13 09-13-2002, 07:51 AM

Yeah, I just used that phrase to remember the order, regardless of direction. I then just relied on knowing that dominant resolves down a 5th to tonic, anti-clockwise round the circle... that's how I was using it.

Yours is indeed better tho cause it moves in the right direction.... easy to remember too cause it's the pitch of open strings on standard tuning. How coincedental!

C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gg B E A D G

Method adopted, thanks!