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1. Start with any key. 2. Look up the relative minor. 3. Go one step to the right and/or one step to the left in the Circle of Fifths. http://en.wikipedia.org

1. Start with any key. 2. Look up the relative minor. 3. Go one step to the right and/or one step to the left in the Circle of Fifths. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths There, you have the most popular and pleasant-sounding chord progressions in any key. If you want funkier progressions, go further in the circle. Edit: The chords sound more jazzy when you go counter-clockwise (it is the circle-of-fourths). Thanks for the correction, @gnaritas.

gnaritas 14y ago
The circle of fifths and fourths are the same circle. Clockwise is a fifth, counterclockwise is a fourth.
- haberman 14y ago
  It's more like it's a circle of both fifths and fourths, in both directions. For example, C-G is a fifth if you go up, or a fourth if you go down. C-F is a fourth if you go up, or a fifth if you go down. So it can be a circle of fourths clockwise or counterclockwise.
  - gnaritas 14y ago
    Circles don't have up and down. :) Going clockwise is always a fifth, counterclockwise is always a fourth.
    - haberman 14y ago
      Circles don't, but intervals do. If you start at middle C (C4), you can go up to G4 to get a fifth or down to G3 to get a fourth. Ergo C-G can, in the abstract, be thought of as a fifth or a fourth. I think what you are trying to say is that going clockwise gives you successive dominants, while going counterclockwise gives you successive subdominants.
      - gnaritas 14y ago
        > Circles don't, but intervals do. Great, but we're discussion the circle of fifths and fourths, not the intervals. You've moving the goal post. A fifth and a fourth are the same interval, but in the context of a key they are not, thus the circle is only fourths in one direction. You can't decide if an interval is a fifth or a fourth without knowing the key. > I think what you are trying to say is that going clockwise gives you successive dominants, while going counterclockwise gives you successive subdominants. I'm not trying to say it, I said it. Pick any note on the circle, it's fifth (dominant) is directly clockwise and it's fourth (sub-dominant) is directly counterclockwise. Counterclockwise is always the fourth of the note you're moving from.
jkmcf 14y ago
That might be the clearest explanation of the circle I've read.
philbarr 14y ago
> The chords sound more jazzy when you go counter-clockwise (it is the circle-of-fourths) As a side note, movement by fourths sounds more jazzy or "warm" because the interval of a 4th is itself a "warm" sounding interval. So if you want a warm sounding chord, slap a 4th in there. In practice this often means adding an 11th (an octave above). So let's say you have a standard C7 chord (C E G Bb), if you want to make it sound jazzy/warm then add the F above. If you want to demonstrate how warm a 4th is (or to get the feel for any interval) stack them up and play them together - C F Bb Eb

gnaritas 14y ago

The circle of fifths and fourths are the same circle. Clockwise is a fifth, counterclockwise is a fourth.

haberman 14y ago
It's more like it's a circle of both fifths and fourths, in both directions. For example, C-G is a fifth if you go up, or a fourth if you go down. C-F is a fourth if you go up, or a fifth if you go down. So it can be a circle of fourths clockwise or counterclockwise.
- gnaritas 14y ago
  Circles don't have up and down. :) Going clockwise is always a fifth, counterclockwise is always a fourth.
  - haberman 14y ago
    Circles don't, but intervals do. If you start at middle C (C4), you can go up to G4 to get a fifth or down to G3 to get a fourth. Ergo C-G can, in the abstract, be thought of as a fifth or a fourth. I think what you are trying to say is that going clockwise gives you successive dominants, while going counterclockwise gives you successive subdominants.
    - gnaritas 14y ago
      > Circles don't, but intervals do. Great, but we're discussion the circle of fifths and fourths, not the intervals. You've moving the goal post. A fifth and a fourth are the same interval, but in the context of a key they are not, thus the circle is only fourths in one direction. You can't decide if an interval is a fifth or a fourth without knowing the key. > I think what you are trying to say is that going clockwise gives you successive dominants, while going counterclockwise gives you successive subdominants. I'm not trying to say it, I said it. Pick any note on the circle, it's fifth (dominant) is directly clockwise and it's fourth (sub-dominant) is directly counterclockwise. Counterclockwise is always the fourth of the note you're moving from.

jkmcf 14y ago

That might be the clearest explanation of the circle I've read.

philbarr 14y ago

> The chords sound more jazzy when you go counter-clockwise (it is the circle-of-fourths) As a side note, movement by fourths sounds more jazzy or "warm" because the interval of a 4th is itself a "warm" sounding interval. So if you want a warm sounding chord, slap a 4th in there. In practice this often means adding an 11th (an octave above). So let's say you have a standard C7 chord (C E G Bb), if you want to make it sound jazzy/warm then add the F above. If you want to demonstrate how warm a 4th is (or to get the feel for any interval) stack them up and play them together - C F Bb Eb