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The Circle of Keys
If you've ever
heard of the "circle of 4ths" or the "circle of 5ths," they
are the same thing as the "circle of keys." It just
depends on whether you're moving clockwise or counter-clockwise
around the circle.
All the major keys that you can play in -- 12 of 'em --
are listed in this circle. Take a look for yourself:
Major
Keys: C
F
Bb Eb Ab
Db Gb B
E A D G
So "C" is at the top of your circle, and Gb (same as
F#) is at the bottom of your circle.
Now
memorize that circle. You'll soon notice that each letter
is a 4th above the previous letter -- hence, the "circle
of 4ths." Or, if you go the other way, you'll soon
notice that each letter is a 5th above the previous letter
-- hence, the "circle of 5ths."
This
is the way chords "want" to move -- up a 4th. Or up
a 5th. You will find those to be the most common chord
progression of all -- up a 4th from the previous chord,
or up a 5th from the previous chord.
For example, if the chord you are playing is C, the most
likely chord to occur next is either F or G. You will notice
that F comes directly to the right of C on the circle, and
G directly to the left. (And you do remember, don't you,
that C, F, and G are the "family chords" for the Key of
C -- the primary chords -- therefore, the most likely chords
to occur? Now you know why!)
So that means that at any point on the circle you can immediately
know the most likely chords -- the chord to the left, and
the chord to the right! Here's a quiz:
What are the 3 most
likely chords in the key of Db?
Db
(of course), plus the chords on either side of it -- Ab
and Gb.
So what we come out with is
this -- the most likely chords in each key:
Do
you see what an enormous advantage this gives you?
You have a highly
educated guess what chords are going to occur in the song
you are playing based on the key that the song is written
in. Not only that, you now know that chords like to either
move up a 4th or a 5th (or down a 4th or 5th -- same thing).
And so as we begin learning
chord progressions, this is the first step -- memorize the
circle above until you can say it forward and backward and
upside down and in your sleep! If I were you, I would
print it out and stick it up on your piano or bathroom mirror
or wherever you would see it often -- it's that important.
That's all for this time.
Next
time we'll take a look at the Circle of Minor Keys -- giving
you the same insight in any minor key.
If
you have a friend or family member who would like to play
the piano, but doesn't want to take the time to practice
and study, do them a favor by telling them about a course
I created just for them. It's called
"How To Make Cool
Sounds On The Piano -- Without Knowing a Thing About Music!"
Click here:
http://www.pianoforbeginners.com/CoolSoundsLetter.htm
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