Circle of fifths with a twist

[Valvehead]

After 30 years of self taught playing I started taking lessons a few months ago.
Now after 5 lessons and having the diatonic scales, triads, scale chords and modes down the time has come to put it all in perspective and decide how to put the things learned to use.

In the last lesson the circle of fifths popped up and I am looking for a practical way to make this nifty thing pythagoras drew up work for me.

Being an IT guy I am always looking to find logic within systems so I doodled up this thing in Photoshop tonight. It is supposed to give me more insight into how things relate.

I printed it twice, cut out the middle wheel that shows all the major and minor keys so I can turn that around. It shows me which notes (in structures of 4ths and 5ths) are in which modes of each key, and which chords are in that key.

Being an absolute beginner with music theory, I do not know if I got those chords right. Could someone please check if those are right? I am kind of uncertain if I got it right, especially the Halfdim bit. I have seen minor 7 flat 5 in other graphs. Is that the same thing?

Thanks for any help.

 

[mambo4]

Min7b5 and half diminished are the same chord.

I dont see any useful or correct information in your diagramming of the modes however. Phrygian appears to indicate G as its root, which implies the key signature of Eb. But the chords cleary indicate C major. the modes look backwards to me.

Lydian should point to the wedge associated with F, but if you did so then Ionian would point to the wedge for Bb, when it should point the other way to C.

Or maybe i misunderstand the information indicated by the modes portion

The chords look correct for C .

You might want to add functional romam numerals to the cord qualities

 

[Valvehead]

Roman numerals. Great idea. Thanks @mambo4 !

The idea with the modes is you turn the inner (keys) circle around to display the fifths or fourths for the modes not from that key but from that particular note.

Thanks for the great input.

 

[mambo4]

The idea with the modes is you turn the inner (keys) circle around to display the fifths or fourths for the modes not from that key but from that particular note.

Not sure what you mean, but I think your modes are laid out backwards

If I read the diagram as shown then It implies these modes relate
Gb Lydian
Cb Ionian

Gb Lydian and Cb Ionian do not relate to each other (counterclockwise)
But Gb Lydian is the same notes as Db Ionian (clockwise)

If you reverse the order of modes to advance in clockwise the direction, the modes displayed will all be related (have the same notes)
I would rearrange the modes to indicate this clockwise relationship on your image:

F Maj7 IV Lydian (#4)
C Maj7 I Ionian
G Dom7 V Mixolydian (b7)
D Min7 ii Dorian (b3)
A Min7 vi Aeolian (b6)
E Min7 iii Phrygian (b2)
B Min7b5 vii Locrian (b5)

(You could even add the characteristic tone of each mode to your chart: the note that differentiates it from the previous mode around in cycle)

These modes and their chord qualities should be aligned, then all the information displayed would be accurate to the Key center of C major