Circle of 4ths and 5ths – How To Memorize It

       

This article will show you exercise that will help you memorize the circle of 4ths and 5ths and some of ways that you can practice using it when you are away from your guitar. This is an important thing to do because it ingrains the information into your mind so that you can recall if effortlessly while you are playing. This means you can concentrate on playing music and not think about theory when you are using your instrument.

The note names of the circle of 4ths and 5ths appear clock-wise in the following order: C, G, D, A, E, B, Gb, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F. But the easiest way to learn the circle of 4ths and 5ths by heart is by learning the BEAD-GCF or BEAD pattern in the anti-clockwise direction because it means you can pronounce the first four letters as the word 'bead' then add then the sentence 'Get Close Friends' to remember GCF. The last set of letters are the same as the first five but flats. Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb.

Once you've memorized this sequence take time to look at the diagram at the end of this article and memorize the visual image. You can derive a lot of information from the geometric relations between the notes so you can benefit from having a mental image of the circle in your mind.

Most people visualise the circle of 4ths and 5ths with the C at the top as this is the key that has no sharps or flats. Knowing how many sharps and flats each key has is important when reading music but I'll cover in a future article.

There are two exercises you can do to really connect the circle of 4ths and 5ths to your playing on the guitar. The first is to play the chords from the E Major in the direction of 4ths up the guitar neck; E, A, D, G, C, F etc. All the way to the E Major chord at the 12th fret and then the same chords back down again, but now it will follow the circle of 5ths.

Another great exercise is to take any riff you are learning and play it in all the keys along the circle of 4ths and 5ths, in either direction. This will give you a good understanding of the circle when it comes to guitar playing. Make sure to sing or hum along with your playing so that you learn to hear the relationship between the notes of what you're playing as it moves through the circle.

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