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Opus II · Nº 14

Circle of Fifths

A Study of Key Signatures
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Which Circle of Fifths drill?
Best times · +20s per wrong
Relative minors

About the Circle of Fifths Trainer

The Circle of Fifths Trainer drills the 14 major and 14 minor key signatures used in Western music — every key from C major (no accidentals) through F♯ major (six sharps) and G♭ major (six flats), plus every relative minor. Two study modes, three drill directions, all free and mobile-friendly.

Key signatures study

Pick which keys to drill (major only, minor only, or both), then choose a direction. Key to accidentals shows you a key name (like "Key of D major") and asks you to mark the F♯ and C♯. Notes to key shows you the seven notes of a scale and asks you to name the key — a slightly harder direction that builds the reverse-association you need for sight-reading and analysis.

Relative minors study

A focused drill: see a major key, name its relative minor. The 14 majors cycle through in random order. Useful for internalizing the major/minor pairings — that A minor is the relative minor of C major, that E minor is G major's relative minor, that D minor pairs with F major, and so on through the whole circle.

Why memorize key signatures?

The circle of fifths is one of the few facts in music theory that genuinely repays drilling. There's no shortcut to knowing that B major has 5 sharps without looking it up — but once it's reflexive you can read any score, transpose any piece, and analyze any chord progression without breaking flow. Best times are stored in your browser; +20 seconds per wrong answer keeps the focus on accuracy.