Jim Bottorff's Banjo Page

CIRCLE OF 5ths

 

You'll find a wealth of information online about the many uses of the Circle of Fifths.

I've personally discovered the following applications to be very helpful in my banjo playing:

 

Chord Progressions           Practice Charts         Diagrams          Relative Minors

 

 

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Chord Progressions

 

The Circle of 5ths diagram below can be used to practice chord progressions.

The diagram illustrates a chord family for the Key of C:

 

  

 

Start at "Home" (C) and jump left or right and return back Home.

Try this chord progression: C  F  C  D  G  C

 

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Chord Practice Chart for the Plectrum Banjo

 

The outer ring of letters indicates chord names.

The inner ring of letters indicates key signitures with sharps and flatts.

 

 

 

Click below to view or print a practice chart for your banjo:

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Circle of 5th Diagrams - Clockwise and Counter-Clockwise

I've interpreted the Circle of Fifths in two ways, both illustrating how music resolves back to the home key.

Traditionally, the clockwise arrangement is shown, but the counter-clockwise version is now more common.

 

Clockwise Arrangement

(Left to Right, such as B E A D G C)

 

 

The Clockwise version is useful for finding notes on the bass-guitar and last four strings of the guitar.
Bar across any fret on your bass or guitar and the notes can be read from the above diagram.

For example, the bass is tuned E A D G (at the nut), same order as the names on the above diagram.
Bar across the 5th fret and the notes are A D G C, as per the diagram. Other frets are similar.

 

 

Counter-Clockwise Arrangement

(Right to Left, such as B E A D G C)

 

 

For the tenor banjo, the Counter-Clockwise arrangement works for finding notes.
The tenor banjo is tuned C G D A (at the nut), same order as the names on the diagram above.

Bar across the 5th fret and the notes are F C G D, as per the diagram. Other frets are similar.

 

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Relative Minor Keys and Chords

Click on the diagram below to inlarge and see the relative minor keys and chords.

These minor chords are often substituted for their major counterparts in music.