Tag Archives: circle of fifths

The secret of really understanding modulations: the circle of fifths (part 3)

IMMAGINE-PENTAGRAMMA4

The circle of fifths

What do we mean with the term ‘circle of fifths’?
Why the tonalities are sorted in a circle?
Why do we need the enharmonic relation to create the circle of fifths?

These are some of the questions we will answer today. Then we will understand all the practical benefits of the using of circle of fifths.
At the end of the lesson we also introduce the essential concept of ‘closely related keys’ and we find a very quick method to find all the closely related keys.

In this way, after these video lessons you are ready to use modulation in a very effective way!
To get the most of this lesson I suggest you to watch before the following videos (if you haven’t already done):

The Equal Tempered System and the Enharmonic relation (part 1)

The Equal Tempered System and the Enharmonic relation (part 2)

Learning material of this lesson

6 videos 39 mins
1. Introduction to the lesson 3m 20s
2. The fifth relation and the circle of fifths 4m 53s
3. How can we obtain the circle of fifths 7m 23s
4. Closely related keys and distantly related keys 10m 53s
5. How to understand modulations through the circle of fifths 4m 50s
6. The major scale degrees and closely related keys: a very strong relation 7m 05s
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The secret of really understanding modulations: the circle of fifths (part 2)

IMMAGINE-PENTAGRAMMA4

The fifth relationship

Is there an easy way to know the key signature for every tonality?
The answer of course is yes and today I will show a step by step method to do it.

This is not the only topic we approach today: in fact we will also introduce the ‘fifth relation’ which allows us to understand more in depth modulation and how all the keys are tied to one another.

Have a good lesson!

Learning material of this lesson

5 videos 30 mins
1. Introduction to the lesson 4m 07s
2. The fifth relation between major keys 7m 09s
3. The fifth relation between minor keys 3m 36s
4. Key signature and fifth relation 5m 26s
5. A very easy method to find the key signature for any tonality 10m 02s
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The secret of really understanding modulations: the circle of fifths (part 1)

IMMAGINE-PENTAGRAMMA4

How to understand relations between keys

What does ‘to modulate’ mean?
‘Modulation’ is the switching from one key to another.

Up to now in our video lessons we have worked only in one key at a time, but when we compose we often need to switch from one key to another. In order to be able to modulate in the right way, we need to understand in depth relationships between the different tonalities which are all tied together.

For this reason today we will start learning relations between keys that will allow us to understand modulations in depth.

Learning material of this lesson

6 videos 29 mins
1. The relations between tonalities 3m 17s
2. Different keys, common notes 6m 40s
3. A typical feature of tonalities, the key signature 4m 52s
4. Flat keys 3m 55s
5. The key signature for minor keys: permanent and temporary accidentals 4m 18s
6. Relations between major and minor keys 6m 13s
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With a Free account you gain immediate access to 15 lessons of piano, theory, harmony, music reading and composition (36 videos).