I'm German and have watched billions of videos about the circle of fifths in german(by the way in Germany we call it "Quintenzirkel"). And I never really understood him. And then you come in another language and suddenly everything makes sense! I'm really happy right now and will probably be busy with sisters and cousins in the near future 😃! Many many heartfelt thanks. And many kind regards from Germany!❤❤❤
This is always the case with Will. And indeed, in Germany we have a lot of strange words for musical things. And we have this thing with B (German) = Bb (everywhere else) and H (German) = B (everywhere else)
@@DanglyLinghamThen, i fear…you may never grasp it! Kidding! I think the best way to learn it is to watch this again but play/practice as Will goes through the different aspects. It will click eventually…good luck!
This may have been the very best explanation of the structure and use of the circle of fifths I've ever seen. Most videos simply describe how the circle is organized, but do not explain the actual value or use of the circle. The very best teachers not only tell you the "what", but also tell you the "why". Well done, Will!
Hi Will, What you call Power Notes is also known as the Major Pentatonic Scale. The 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6th notes of any Major scale, makes the Major Pentatonic. The 1, b3, 4, 5, & b7 makes the Minor Pentatonic Scale. Add in the b5 to the Minor Pentatonic Scale above and you have your standard Blues Scale. Try counting that out on all of the White keys and you'll have 3 new sacles to work from. If you know some scales, the formula can be applied to them as well. Guitarists are very well known for using Minor Pentatonic Scales, as they can be used over Major & Minor Chord progressions. Hope that helps a bit and gets some ideas flowing for those who are not Theory heads...LOL... Thx ElectricEddie
@@KingRyGuy21 A flat means to drop a note by a half-step or a half-semitone which is the same (It's like Potatoe / Pototoe) it means the same, it's just another name for the same thing, it's from different parts of the world. Ex. C Maj Scale - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C If you apply the Formula 1, b3, 4, 5, & b7 to the "C" Major Scale You get the C minor Pentatonic Scale (Penta means 5 notes only) C Minor Pentatonic = C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C * If you add the (b5) note to the same scale you get the Blues Scale. Blues Scales Formula = 1, b3, 4, (b5), 5, & b7, 1 = C, Eb, F, (Gb), G, Bb, C If you take the C Major Scale = C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C and apply this Formula 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6b, & b7, 1 you get the C Minor Scale. C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C (aka. C Minor Aeolian or Natural Minor Scale.) Again (It's like Potatoe / Pototoe) *** Side Note: A little Trick. The C Minor is the Relative Minor of the E(b) Flat Major. If you know the E(b) Flat Major Scale and start to play it from the "C" Note to the next "C" Note = Then you just played the C Minor Scale (aka. C Minor Aeolian or Natural Minor Scale.) This works for all Major to Minor Scales. If you know the Major Scales then technically you know the Relative Minor Scales as well. There are many Formulas. They all work to give you different Scales ( Pentatonic, Major, Minor, Blues, etc.). *** Memorize the Formulas.*** *** There are also many formulas to get different Chords. Ex. 1st, 3rd, and 5th note of any Major Scale, gives you the Major Chord with the same name from the Scale it was taken from. Ex. C Maj Scale - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C - 1st, 3rd, 5th note gives you (C, E, G) Played together gives you the C Major Chord. Ex. C Maj Scale - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C - 1st, b3rd, 5th note gives you (C, Eb, G) Played together gives you the C Minor Chord. Memorize the Formulas to apply to any Scale for different results ( different Scales & different Chords) There are many Formulas for both the Scales & Chords. Learning them all will give you a Great knowledge of theory knowing which scales to play with which Chords. Also What Chords go together to make nice Chord Progressions. Chord Progressions are the basis to any Verse & Chorus making them into Songs. Good Luck ElectricEddie
In my opnion, actually showing how to use the circle of fifths rather than blandly explaining the relations between the notes is what makes this video stand out from the rest, very good job!
Been trying to understand this for years, even got classes for this at audio school. After 5 years of this bs I feel scammed. This guys solved one of my life frustrations in 11mins. Amazing teacher! Subscribed!!
I've seen a few videos explaining the Circle of Fifths. The way you explain it is actually pretty easy to understand. I knew how many flats or sharps a scale has; I just didn't know how to make those progressions on a piano. Thanks to you, I understand now. Thanks, Will, again for a great video.
Quite how one can watch so many videos on this subject and still not quite grasp it…and then you do one and all falls into place…nice. Great content and somehow you’ve managed to achieve what countless others have not. Cheers!
This really is a great explanation! It makes a whole lot more sense than any of the other tutorials did, that I have seen on this subject. Thanks, Will.
My man….. i always ignored the circle of fifths because i thought it was super complicated and very hard to understand…. You opened my mind like no other teacher! Thank you!
Yup… this is hands down the PERFECT explanation vid for the Circle of Fifths! It’s amazing to me how many other channels have tried to explain it and always seem to get it wrong along the way… this is perfectly done 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
It might be better thought of as a circle of fourths. Here’s why: all root note resolution is strongest when it moves a perfect fourth. C>F. F>Bb. D>G. Eb>Ab. In classical terms, this is a five > one, the cadence you hear at the end of so many of the classic symphonies and concertos. In jazz harmony, if you’re not doing tritone subs and whatnot, the iii>vi>ii>V7>I maj7 has this root motion! In the key of C, that is e-7 > a-7 > d-7 > G7 > Cmaj7. See it? It’s not really a circle of fifths per se. The moment I started to see it as moving in fourths is the moment I grasped the essence of western harmony.
EDM TIPS once again with another amazingly helpful video. I've learnt so much from this channel over this last year I've been (trying to) make music. I don't necessarily make EDM, I make all sorts of genres but the tips I get from here have taught me so much. Thank you.
omg, I never understood what people meant because they never described it in a clear and easy way, English is not my first language so when people said "in relative to" etc I had no idea what they were on about but now I completely understand because you had a clear visual element and explanation for it. Thank you!
Sometimes a video comes along that immediately lifts you to a new level of understanding rather spending ages trying to decipher it alone. Thank you. The next part of my music journey begins.
If you don't stop with the 3-note chord, you can build your major/minor 7th chord 4-note chord out of this as well by adding one more note. It is always major-minor-major-minor for a major 7th chord or minor-major-minor-major for minor 7th chord. So for C Major: C-e-G-b or for A Minor: a-C-e-G.
I came here today in search of a reference video for my students of how the circle of fifths works, and how to use it effectively. This video explains that quite well, and makes it easy to understand. However, on behalf of learning by ear which is just as important, unless something is off with my speakers at home, the C major chord sounds like C# on my end, along with the rest sounding a half step higher as well. Made me question my guitar tuning way too many times, but two different tuners have reassured me. And at the time stamp of 4:44, there's the follow up example of how to find the notes that make up major and minor chords. It threw me for a curve on the E flat minor chord diagram, as it shows a connection from e flat, to F#, to b flat, which are in different key signatures. But only because the enharmonic equivalent of G flat is missing from that diagram in comparison to the one on the left that shows F#/G flat. I know there are many on here that are finding a starting point. I only post this to provide clarity where there may have been any confusion. Otherwise, great stuff. Thank you for the video
OMG! This is the video I’ve been looking for!!!!! I’m no musician and I consider myself tone deaf (not literally of course). I’m an indie game developer, trying to level up my games (as well as my brand I could say) so I need to start writing music for my own games, but it’s so difficult to get started. I’m not trying to make a musical masterpiece, I just want to write music that sounds good enough, that being said I don’t really plan on spending the next 2-3 years mastering music theory so I was looking for these rules to write some music (as I’m already writing code, art and doing design). Of course I still need a lot more to actually write some music, but this is the start I’ve been looking for
I love you. I've seen many videos on the circle of 5ths, but after your video, something clicked and now I get it, I actually understand this and it's soooooo exciting!!! Thank you!!!
wowww, tremendous contribution, this is taking the big step through something that is always complicated to understand, you have made it easy and brief, thank you very much friend
this is such a blessing of a video...Thank you for this! I've been self-studying music and piano to help with my self-esteem...I wrote down notes for the past hour, and I feel like I really learned and understood the most from your vid.❤
I have watched a lot of vids explaining what the circle of fifth is, but you are the first one actually showing what to do with it and how to use it for composition. Thank you so much for that! (And Iam from germany too :D)
@@EDMTipsOne additional question: I expect the rules of using the five notes explained in chapter "writing a melody" can be also applied when writing a Bassline fitting to an already existing chord progression?
Finally a thorough and easy to follow explanation of how to work the magic circle! Wish I could have joined your program for the new year but until that can happen, your videos keep making a real difference 😊
Wow watched several hundred music tutorial videos, then I come across this video A revelation. Grateful for the useful explanation of the practical use of the diagram. Thanks for sharing.
You got my subscription. That was an absolutely perfect, easy explanation of the circle. Holy crap, I have been flustered by this for so long. I always knew I was right there, but dog gone it, there was something missing. Well, DANG! You brought out all the points I was unclear of. Thanks so much for that. Really…WELL DONE. Regards.
Holy shit, man. I started watching this video thinking "This guy and goddamn accent are gonna be another dead end for me in trying to figure this shit out." At the end of the video, I'm already jamming out and making my own tunes, giggling like a school girl because I just can't believe that it finally clicked. I'm subscribed and binge watching everything you've made because you're the first person to finally make music theory make sense for me. Give this hero your time and you will understand everything you've been dying to understand. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Very good explanation. I knew about relative minors, but using circles of fifths for figuring out chord progressions and melodies is awesome. Will def be referring back to this video
I've noticed a discrepency in the way 'Notes' are counted, like when you chose 'Four' notes 'Clockwise' from the Tonic of the scale. You counted from the first note, clockwise from the Tonic. When working out 'Diatonic Chords' for a particular 'Key", you count out in "Thirds" or 3's, from the first note of the chord. The first note is simply the particular note in the 'Key" of the 'Scale' you are working in. So the first note is 'One' and you count three beginning on your first note, and repeat. I'm new to all of this and I find 'The Circle of Fifths' an incredible tool to be used in song writing. However i find the counting thing confusing.
It’s true, been labouring with this for a few weeks now full focus but had to convert it into my own exercise form. It took a lot out of me mentally at times because it’s like my ear and mind were merging as I persevered. At first didn’t focus on 5th steps just used piano keyboard and forced myself to pick out the 12 keys. Got familiar with each key but it all opened up when they became familiar. 5th steps are easy and turns out the 1st becomes the 4th of the next key. It’s all related. Hearing it becomes second nature.
I just don’t get it. I want to start making music but don’t understand any of this. I’ve bought ableton but literally have no clue. All this talk of chords, what is that? It’s frustrating because I wanna understand but don’t.
Music is a language and it has ways of describing sounds. You learnt English by practicing words and then joined them to make a sentence. Be kind to yourself, learn by taking small steps in knowledge. You can climb vast mental mountains that way. 😊👍 RUclips channels like this are your friends in that knowledge journey.
@@YoureNowOnTV thankyou for your comment. The thing is I dj, I mix in key. The problem is I rely on mixed in key to key my tracks. If I had a keyboard in front of my id not have a clue how to play it. Or to work out the key of a track using a keyboard. I wanna progress into producing but because I’ve no musical theory back ground I simply have no clue. So I feel that buying ableton was a waste of money because I don’t understand music.
@@SuperRuss26 a DAW like Ableton helps you freeze music to identify parts. You can slow things down, repeat parts, change how high or low the note octaves are and analyse so many things. Definitely not a waste of money. It’s a powerful tool that takes time to learn, you can do it because other people can. Imagine how hard it would have been to learn and compose music back in Mozart or Beethoven’s time! The thing is you can learn a lot in music but the cool thing is you don’t have to learn it all to make it. Small steps are still movement in the right direction. 😉👍
Thank you for making this super digestible! I've watched so many of these circle of fifths youtube videos... this is the best one. If you could make a more advanced one with 7th and other chord progressions.. I would be in heaven. Thanks again man!
There's so many videos about the circle of fifths with tons of views, but this is the only one that made understand why it's so useful!, you have new subscriber!
Very good explanation ! PS. Please add the part about using the Circle to create melodies using the "power notes" into the Radio Ready Program Music Theory For EDM Producers course, because that part is very valuable, but it's not in the course yet. Cheers
The "duh" logic of the third in the circle of fifths never occurred to me. Thank you for the matter-of-fact brilliance of your presentation. I learned something new!
This has to be the greatest circle of fifths video I’ve ever seen! Recently on my way back from nyc I encountered to college girls whom are majoring in music, I wish I had given this video at that time!❤
We studied minor scales as harmonic and melodic. So their chords were a bit different. I mean not the 3rd, but the 6,7 notes and sometimes the 5th. And the scales arrangements were easy, the one side with sharps and the other side with flats. But this colour wheel / sundial ( lol) is a better pictorial for the brain. Thank you !!
2:09 This also explains why most songs written on piano (/ organ / keyboard / etc) are not in C#, F# or B. Having said this, on a guitar you can tune it in C# - et voila And in the DAW you can drag all notes in C up a semitone - et voila But tradionally it's the most simple to stay in C, / Am, G, / Em, F / Dm, D / Bm and A# / Gm.
There is a free app that does this, in conjunction with a fretboard visualiser, that allows you to see all the notes on the fretboard, scales, modes, chords and even overlay 2 together, suddenly it will all click into place, instead of being an abstract concept.
It’s refreshing to see a non classical person explain music in simple terms and how they make music with that. Granted this is just the bare basic of how to use the circle of fifths there’s a lot more to explore within the circle like modulations and parallel keys and borrowed chords and stuff but EDM is usually not complex enough for that to even matter.
The problem with most most music teachers and music schools is that they give you a solution ( in this case the circle of fifths) without having you understand it. You can learn it and use it but you will never ever internalize it . if you really want to understand music and harmony you need to get back to basics. Major and minor intervals, chord construction , relations within a scale etc so you understand why a chord Progression works . It’s the longer way but the reward is also bigger
Now I feel like I've always had a recipe book but couldn't read it due to lack of knowledge, but now you've explained every word to me so I can finally follow the recipe and stop coming up with differently stupid chord progressions xd Thanks dude!
Super helpful, I finally understood after watching 10s of videos. I wish you had touched on playing minor key chord progressions though I assume it has the same rules as the major key chord progressions.. so glad I found your channel!
Man.I thought I had it figured out, learned something new today. Thanks a lot, you videos really have been inspiring the last couple of days since I found you! You are awesome!
I'm German and have watched billions of videos about the circle of fifths in german(by the way in Germany we call it "Quintenzirkel"). And I never really understood him. And then you come in another language and suddenly everything makes sense! I'm really happy right now and will probably be busy with sisters and cousins in the near future 😃! Many many heartfelt thanks. And many kind regards from Germany!❤❤❤
Same for me though not in German. 🎉
This is always the case with Will. And indeed, in Germany we have a lot of strange words for musical things. And we have this thing with B (German) = Bb (everywhere else) and H (German) = B (everywhere else)
I am english speaking and this made it more confusing for me. lol
@@DanglyLinghamThen, i fear…you may never grasp it!
Kidding! I think the best way to learn it is to watch this again but play/practice as Will goes through the different aspects.
It will click eventually…good luck!
Love to read such comments! Thank you so much! 🙏 And I am very happy my video helped you to understand it! :)
This may have been the very best explanation of the structure and use of the circle of fifths I've ever seen. Most videos simply describe how the circle is organized, but do not explain the actual value or use of the circle. The very best teachers not only tell you the "what", but also tell you the "why". Well done, Will!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate the kind words of support and I am really glad you found this helpful!
Hi Will, What you call Power Notes is also known as the Major Pentatonic Scale.
The 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6th notes of any Major scale, makes the Major Pentatonic.
The 1, b3, 4, 5, & b7 makes the Minor Pentatonic Scale.
Add in the b5 to the Minor Pentatonic Scale above and you have your standard Blues Scale.
Try counting that out on all of the White keys and you'll have 3 new sacles to work from. If you know some scales, the formula can be applied to them as well.
Guitarists are very well known for using Minor Pentatonic Scales, as they can be used over Major & Minor Chord progressions.
Hope that helps a bit and gets some ideas flowing for those who are not Theory heads...LOL...
Thx ElectricEddie
Nice was looking for this comment explaining the power notes. Thanks!
After the major pentatonic scale you mentioned 1, b3…what is the b here? Flat, diminished? Sorry, trying to learn and feel lost
I think it's flat @@KingRyGuy21 . So flat 3rd note, so in Cmaj that would be D#/Eb(flat)
@@artificers-predecessor thank you
@@KingRyGuy21 A flat means to drop a note by a half-step or a half-semitone which is the same (It's like Potatoe / Pototoe) it means the same, it's just another name for the same thing, it's from different parts of the world.
Ex. C Maj Scale - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
If you apply the Formula 1, b3, 4, 5, & b7 to the "C" Major Scale You get the C minor Pentatonic Scale (Penta means 5 notes only) C Minor Pentatonic = C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C
* If you add the (b5) note to the same scale you get the Blues Scale.
Blues Scales Formula = 1, b3, 4, (b5), 5, & b7, 1 = C, Eb, F, (Gb), G, Bb, C
If you take the C Major Scale = C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C and apply this Formula 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6b, & b7, 1 you get the C Minor Scale. C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C (aka. C Minor Aeolian or Natural Minor Scale.) Again (It's like Potatoe / Pototoe)
*** Side Note: A little Trick. The C Minor is the Relative Minor of the E(b) Flat Major. If you know the E(b) Flat Major Scale and start to play it from the "C" Note to the next "C" Note = Then you just played the C Minor Scale (aka. C Minor Aeolian or Natural Minor Scale.) This works for all Major to Minor Scales. If you know the Major Scales then technically you know the Relative Minor Scales as well.
There are many Formulas. They all work to give you different Scales ( Pentatonic, Major, Minor, Blues, etc.).
*** Memorize the Formulas.***
*** There are also many formulas to get different Chords.
Ex. 1st, 3rd, and 5th note of any Major Scale, gives you the Major Chord with the same name from the Scale it was taken from.
Ex. C Maj Scale - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C - 1st, 3rd, 5th note gives you (C, E, G) Played together gives you the C Major Chord.
Ex. C Maj Scale - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C - 1st, b3rd, 5th note gives you (C, Eb, G) Played together gives you the C Minor Chord.
Memorize the Formulas to apply to any Scale for different results ( different Scales & different Chords)
There are many Formulas for both the Scales & Chords. Learning them all will give you a Great knowledge of theory knowing which scales to play with which Chords. Also What Chords go together to make nice Chord Progressions. Chord Progressions are the basis to any Verse & Chorus making them into Songs.
Good Luck
ElectricEddie
The title couldn't be more precise. This has literally unlocked music for me
Haha love to hear that man! Thank you for dropping a comment!
Frfr. This vid made constructing from the circle of fifths very plain
In my opnion, actually showing how to use the circle of fifths rather than blandly explaining the relations between the notes is what makes this video stand out from the rest, very good job!
Thank you so much, I am stoked you found it helpful 🙌🏻
The circle of fifths has always been a bit of an enigma to me, but this is the best explanation I have seen to date. Thanks, Will!
After 20 years of working with music, this is the best easiest way to understand I feel I have encountered. Thank you!!
Love to hear feedback like yours! Thank you so much for the support and you are very welcome!
Congrats. You're the first one to explain this so that I can understand it. Thank you very much.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching and for the kind words of support 🙂
Been trying to understand this for years, even got classes for this at audio school. After 5 years of this bs I feel scammed. This guys solved one of my life frustrations in 11mins. Amazing teacher! Subscribed!!
Well, looks like I've done my job then! 😉 Thanks for subscribing and I hope you continue to enjoy the content! 🙌🏻
I've seen a few videos explaining the Circle of Fifths. The way you explain it is actually pretty easy to understand. I knew how many flats or sharps a scale has; I just didn't know how to make those progressions on a piano. Thanks to you, I understand now. Thanks, Will, again for a great video.
Excellent! I’m glad it helped, and you’re welcome :)
Quite how one can watch so many videos on this subject and still not quite grasp it…and then you do one and all falls into place…nice.
Great content and somehow you’ve managed to achieve what countless others have not.
Cheers!
Very much appreciate to hear that! 🙏
After watching three hundred and seventy six thousand videos on Circle of Fifth, I FINALLY got it today. Thank you soooooo much.
Glad to help!!
This really is a great explanation!
It makes a whole lot more sense than any of the other tutorials did, that I have seen on this subject.
Thanks, Will.
I love how your videos are fast passed and still thorough.
My man….. i always ignored the circle of fifths because i thought it was super complicated and very hard to understand…. You opened my mind like no other teacher! Thank you!
Yup… this is hands down the PERFECT explanation vid for the Circle of Fifths! It’s amazing to me how many other channels have tried to explain it and always seem to get it wrong along the way… this is perfectly done 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Best explanation for writing with the Circle of Fifths that I have ever seen. Thank you for this!!
You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching and for the kind words of support 🙂
Thank you for this, I don’t really feel like I know any music theory but I do think I’m getting much closer here. Stay blessed
It might be better thought of as a circle of fourths. Here’s why: all root note resolution is strongest when it moves a perfect fourth. C>F. F>Bb. D>G. Eb>Ab. In classical terms, this is a five > one, the cadence you hear at the end of so many of the classic symphonies and concertos. In jazz harmony, if you’re not doing tritone subs and whatnot, the iii>vi>ii>V7>I maj7 has this root motion! In the key of C, that is e-7 > a-7 > d-7 > G7 > Cmaj7. See it? It’s not really a circle of fifths per se. The moment I started to see it as moving in fourths is the moment I grasped the essence of western harmony.
EDM TIPS once again with another amazingly helpful video. I've learnt so much from this channel over this last year I've been (trying to) make music. I don't necessarily make EDM, I make all sorts of genres but the tips I get from here have taught me so much.
Thank you.
Díky!
omg, I never understood what people meant because they never described it in a clear and easy way, English is not my first language so when people said "in relative to" etc I had no idea what they were on about but now I completely understand because you had a clear visual element and explanation for it.
Thank you!
Bruuu finally I understood it. You always explain things so easy its a bless! Thanks!
Very happy to hear man! My pleasure!
Great explanation!! Best i have ever seen 🎉
Thank you so much for the support!🙏
Never heard an explanation of this concept more simple and precise in my life. Thanks for the great content.
Ah, thank you so much, I really appreciate the kind words of support!
By far one of the best circle of fifths explanations. It now seems really useful. Thank you.
Fantastic!! New to music production and just printed this out from your website so I can have it on my wall.
Amazing man!🙌🙌 Happy to hear! The Circle of Fifths is truly helpful!
This is the best description and application of the circle of 5ths I have seen on RUclips. Well done.
10 minutes. Easily explained. Simplicity. Awesome. Thanks a lot for this!
NOW it all makes sense!! Clearest and easiest explanation of the Circle of 5ths that I've seen OR been taught! thank you SO much for this!!
You’re welcome!
Sometimes a video comes along that immediately lifts you to a new level of understanding rather spending ages trying to decipher it alone. Thank you. The next part of my music journey begins.
You’re welcome :)
I came here to learn how to change keys in a song. I got what I needed. Thanks Will!
Love to hear that! 🙏 Appreciate your support!
What a great job explaining how you make the notes and seeing the red circles around the notes as you played them further enforced the learning. Nice.
So happy to hear you found the video useful! Thank you for your support!
I always had to write it down, but no one told me about this! Thank you!
i love painting as much as making beats! you just gave me an awesome painting idea acrylic, circle of fifths abstract! thanks bro
Haha yeah give this a try! Rock on, man!
This is a great explanation Will, and the examples help a lot. Thanks!
Happy to hear man! Glad I could help!
If you don't stop with the 3-note chord, you can build your major/minor 7th chord 4-note chord out of this as well by adding one more note. It is always major-minor-major-minor for a major 7th chord or minor-major-minor-major for minor 7th chord. So for C Major: C-e-G-b or for A Minor: a-C-e-G.
I came here today in search of a reference video for my students of how the circle of fifths works, and how to use it effectively. This video explains that quite well, and makes it easy to understand. However, on behalf of learning by ear which is just as important, unless something is off with my speakers at home, the C major chord sounds like C# on my end, along with the rest sounding a half step higher as well. Made me question my guitar tuning way too many times, but two different tuners have reassured me. And at the time stamp of 4:44, there's the follow up example of how to find the notes that make up major and minor chords. It threw me for a curve on the E flat minor chord diagram, as it shows a connection from e flat, to F#, to b flat, which are in different key signatures. But only because the enharmonic equivalent of G flat is missing from that diagram in comparison to the one on the left that shows F#/G flat. I know there are many on here that are finding a starting point. I only post this to provide clarity where there may have been any confusion. Otherwise, great stuff. Thank you for the video
First time I’m digging how to use the circle of fifths. Thank you Sir. Glad I clicked! ❤
You’re very welcome!
OMG! This is the video I’ve been looking for!!!!!
I’m no musician and I consider myself tone deaf (not literally of course). I’m an indie game developer, trying to level up my games (as well as my brand I could say) so I need to start writing music for my own games, but it’s so difficult to get started. I’m not trying to make a musical masterpiece, I just want to write music that sounds good enough, that being said I don’t really plan on spending the next 2-3 years mastering music theory so I was looking for these rules to write some music (as I’m already writing code, art and doing design). Of course I still need a lot more to actually write some music, but this is the start I’ve been looking for
I love you. I've seen many videos on the circle of 5ths, but after your video, something clicked and now I get it, I actually understand this and it's soooooo exciting!!! Thank you!!!
such a great and easy explanation! Thanks a lot!
wowww, tremendous contribution, this is taking the big step through something that is always complicated to understand, you have made it easy and brief, thank you very much friend
You are very welcome indeed!
Absolutely love this. Thank you for finally making this make sense to me.
You're welcome! 🙂
Best explanation of the Circle of 5ths ever. Thanks. This really helps.
This is excellent, please do more music theory videos in 2024🙏🏻💯
Possibly one of the most useful and interesting videos I’ve seen in a long time!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much!
omg ive never seen someone explain the uses like this! thank you
You’re welcome!
this is such a blessing of a video...Thank you for this! I've been self-studying music and piano to help with my self-esteem...I wrote down notes for the past hour, and I feel like I really learned and understood the most from your vid.❤
You're so welcome! Glad it was helpful 🙂
I have watched a lot of vids explaining what the circle of fifth is, but you are the first one actually showing what to do with it and how to use it for composition. Thank you so much for that! (And Iam from germany too :D)
You’re welcome!
@@EDMTipsOne additional question: I expect the rules of using the five notes explained in chapter "writing a melody" can be also applied when writing a Bassline fitting to an already existing chord progression?
Finally a thorough and easy to follow explanation of how to work the magic circle! Wish I could have joined your program for the new year but until that can happen, your videos keep making a real difference 😊
Circle of fifths is a gift that keeps on giving. Thanks for the explanation.
100%! It is so useful! My pleasure!
Wow watched several hundred music tutorial videos, then I come across this video A revelation. Grateful for the useful explanation of the practical use of the diagram. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome, Steve, glad it was helpful! 🙌🏻
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING! This explains so much, I'm amazed you're providing such knowledge in such a digestible way for free. Thank you.
You're welcome, I am glad you found this helpful! Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
Thank you! I've never none how to use the circle of fifths as I do now. Outstanding.
You got my subscription. That was an absolutely perfect, easy explanation of the circle. Holy crap, I have been flustered by this for so long. I always knew I was right there, but dog gone it, there was something missing. Well, DANG! You brought out all the points I was unclear of. Thanks so much for that. Really…WELL DONE. Regards.
Well, looks like I've done my job then! 😉 Thanks for subscribing and I hope you continue to enjoy the content! 🙌🏻
Holy shit, man. I started watching this video thinking "This guy and goddamn accent are gonna be another dead end for me in trying to figure this shit out."
At the end of the video, I'm already jamming out and making my own tunes, giggling like a school girl because I just can't believe that it finally clicked.
I'm subscribed and binge watching everything you've made because you're the first person to finally make music theory make sense for me.
Give this hero your time and you will understand everything you've been dying to understand.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Well, looks like I've done my job then! 😉 Thanks for subscribing and I hope you continue to enjoy the content! 🙌🏻
Very good explanation. I knew about relative minors, but using circles of fifths for figuring out chord progressions and melodies is awesome. Will def be referring back to this video
Now i really understand the circle of 5ths. Great job, I have watched countless videos but never understood it uses until now
Nice one, I am glad I could help! 🙌🏻
Thank you very much for this video. You really made me understand the circle of 5ths
My pleasure man! Thank you for the comment!🙏
The best explanation with practical uses for the circle of 5ths that I ever had .. thanks EDM tips
You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful :)
Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
Will, you legend! 🙏 This has finally unlocked more interesting chord progressions for me.
Stoked to hear that, Joey! Glad it was helpful! Anything else you're struggling with?
At first this looked very intimidating. Thank you so much for making this easier.
I've noticed a discrepency in the way 'Notes' are counted, like when you chose 'Four' notes 'Clockwise' from the Tonic of the scale. You counted from the first note, clockwise from the Tonic. When working out 'Diatonic Chords' for a particular 'Key", you count out in "Thirds" or 3's, from the first note of the chord. The first note is simply the particular note in the 'Key" of the 'Scale' you are working in. So the first note is 'One' and you count three beginning on your first note, and repeat. I'm new to all of this and I find 'The Circle of Fifths' an incredible tool to be used in song writing. However i find the counting thing confusing.
It’s true, been labouring with this for a few weeks now full focus but had to convert it into my own exercise form. It took a lot out of me mentally at times because it’s like my ear and mind were merging as I persevered. At first didn’t focus on 5th steps just used piano keyboard and forced myself to pick out the 12 keys. Got familiar with each key but it all opened up when they became familiar. 5th steps are easy and turns out the 1st becomes the 4th of the next key. It’s all related. Hearing it becomes second nature.
I just don’t get it. I want to start making music but don’t understand any of this. I’ve bought ableton but literally have no clue. All this talk of chords, what is that? It’s frustrating because I wanna understand but don’t.
Music is a language and it has ways of describing sounds. You learnt English by practicing words and then joined them to make a sentence. Be kind to yourself, learn by taking small steps in knowledge. You can climb vast mental mountains that way. 😊👍 RUclips channels like this are your friends in that knowledge journey.
@@YoureNowOnTV thankyou for your comment. The thing is I dj, I mix in key. The problem is I rely on mixed in key to key my tracks. If I had a keyboard in front of my id not have a clue how to play it. Or to work out the key of a track using a keyboard.
I wanna progress into producing but because I’ve no musical theory back ground I simply have no clue. So I feel that buying ableton was a waste of money because I don’t understand music.
@@SuperRuss26 a DAW like Ableton helps you freeze music to identify parts. You can slow things down, repeat parts, change how high or low the note octaves are and analyse so many things. Definitely not a waste of money. It’s a powerful tool that takes time to learn, you can do it because other people can. Imagine how hard it would have been to learn and compose music back in Mozart or Beethoven’s time! The thing is you can learn a lot in music but the cool thing is you don’t have to learn it all to make it. Small steps are still movement in the right direction. 😉👍
@@YoureNowOnTV Thankyou, much appreciated.
@@SuperRuss26 No worries. 😀👍 Hard things are fun because when you succeed the reward feels much bigger.
Thank you for making this super digestible! I've watched so many of these circle of fifths youtube videos... this is the best one. If you could make a more advanced one with 7th and other chord progressions.. I would be in heaven. Thanks again man!
For someone who only plays by ear (feeming guilty to never tried learn notes and such) this is a remarkable start. Thanks you :)
There's so many videos about the circle of fifths with tons of views, but this is the only one that made understand why it's so useful!, you have new subscriber!
Awesome mate! Looks like I've done my job right then! haha Thanks for subscribing and I hope you continue to enjoy the content! 🙌🏻
Very good explanation !
PS. Please add the part about using the Circle to create melodies using the "power notes" into the Radio Ready Program Music Theory For EDM Producers course, because that part is very valuable, but it's not in the course yet. Cheers
Good advice and is helping me improve on my music ideas. Thank you.
Great to hear!
this is one of the most useful music theory videos ive ever watched. really concise. i think i understand music theory now. this was really cool
This is the best explanation of this I’ve ever seen!
Appreciate it! 🙌🙏
That was the dopest way I’ve ever heard to explain TCOF. 🎉🎉🎉
Really glad you liked it so much! Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
❤ this was amazing
Thank you!
The "duh" logic of the third in the circle of fifths never occurred to me. Thank you for the matter-of-fact brilliance of your presentation. I learned something new!
You explained these so awsome! ❤
Cheers, glad it helped!
Anything else in particular you’re struggling with and would like me to cover on the channel?
Thank you very much for this breakdown. Concise and powerful.
You’re very welcome!
Amazingly explained thank you!!!
Finally beginning to understand how to make my electronic compositions make sense.
this is the best circle of fifths explanation I’ve seen, thank you
Thanks, this was extremely helpful!
Nice one as always, Will. Now, we need to clarify that a Dominant-7-chord is not diminished. But chords is a topic for a whole series of videos.
This has to be the greatest circle of fifths video I’ve ever seen! Recently on my way back from nyc I encountered to college girls whom are majoring in music, I wish I had given this video at that time!❤
Thank you! Glad you found it useful! 😎
Oh man, this video is insanely good, I have no words, thanks a lot for this amazing content, this helped me a bunch!! ❤❤🙏🙏
You're welcome ☺️ Glad it helped!
We studied minor scales as harmonic and melodic. So their chords were a bit different. I mean not the 3rd, but the 6,7 notes and sometimes the 5th.
And the scales arrangements were easy, the one side with sharps and the other side with flats.
But this colour wheel / sundial ( lol) is a better pictorial for the brain. Thank you !!
You're welcome, glad it as helpful! 🙌🏻
2:09 This also explains why most songs written on piano (/ organ / keyboard / etc) are not in C#, F# or B.
Having said this, on a guitar you can tune it in C# - et voila
And in the DAW you can drag all notes in C up a semitone - et voila
But tradionally it's the most simple to stay in C, / Am, G, / Em, F / Dm, D / Bm and A# / Gm.
There is a free app that does this, in conjunction with a fretboard visualiser, that allows you to see all the notes on the fretboard, scales, modes, chords and even overlay 2 together, suddenly it will all click into place, instead of being an abstract concept.
Cool, I dont understand everything but very helpfull
A brilliant comprehensive explanation. This is the first time I’ve fully understood. Thank you.
The most amazing tutorial I have ever come across ❤
Thank you very much! :)
Oh my word, this is what I have needed forever!!! I cannot thank you enough!!!
You’re very welcome!! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
It’s refreshing to see a non classical person explain music in simple terms and how they make music with that. Granted this is just the bare basic of how to use the circle of fifths there’s a lot more to explore within the circle like modulations and parallel keys and borrowed chords and stuff but EDM is usually not complex enough for that to even matter.
Cheers! I choose to take this as a compliment 🙂
Yes nice video, regarding EDM the complexity is in the production not the harmony
The problem with most most music teachers and music schools is that they give you a solution ( in this case the circle of fifths) without having you understand it. You can learn it and use it but you will never ever internalize it . if you really want to understand music and harmony you need to get back to basics. Major and minor intervals, chord construction , relations within a scale etc so you understand why a chord Progression works . It’s the longer way but the reward is also bigger
Ive grown up learning piano from 6 and rn Im a junior in highschool, i cant believe I never noticed all these details in the circle of fifths
Now I feel like I've always had a recipe book but couldn't read it due to lack of knowledge, but now you've explained every word to me so I can finally follow the recipe and stop coming up with differently stupid chord progressions xd
Thanks dude!
Super helpful, I finally understood after watching 10s of videos. I wish you had touched on playing minor key chord progressions though I assume it has the same rules as the major key chord progressions.. so glad I found your channel!
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Question: is the circle of fiths only needed to compose music?
Man.I thought I had it figured out, learned something new today. Thanks a lot, you videos really have been inspiring the last couple of days since I found you! You are awesome!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching and for the kind words of support! 🙂
Great Teacher! Thanks.