Circle of 4ths – Overview The Circle of Fourths is a sequence of 12 notes or chords that are separated by a 5 half steps or a “4th.” Much of Western music is based on chord progressions along the Circle of Fourths. Definitions # of notes in music = 12 notes, repeated in “octaves” A “half step” is the smallest interval in music. Two adjacent notes are said to be a half step apart A “4th” is an interval that’s equivalent to 5 half steps. 4th Bb
A
4th
4th Eb
B C D
4th Db
Ab
E
F
G A B
4th
4th
4th
Gb
C D 4th
E
F G
A B C
4th
D E
4th
F
G A B
4th
4th
Memorize the sequence! B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb 4ths Progression or “Circle of Fourths”
(5ths Progression or “Circle of 5ths”)
4th G
4th E
A
F
Bb
G
C
5
A
D
6
000
7
B
E
Db
Gb
Eb
Ab
F#, C#
C
1 F#, C#, G#
A
D
F#
G
E
F#, C#, G#, D#
3
C Chord Root or Key
B F#, C#, G#, D#, A#
F
4
Bb
Bb
Gb Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb
2
Db
Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb
Ab
Eb
Bb, Eb
9 10
Bb, Eb, Ab Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
8
11
1
Circle of 4ths – Moving Around the Circle
1.
2.
Start
Am D7 G E ii-V7-I
F Bb
Gb Db
Ab
D7 G7
A E
C
B
F
B
Bb
Gb Db
Ab
5. Am Dm G7
E
Start
C
B Gb Db
7.
Ab
F
Bb
Gb
Bb
Em
E
Cmaj7 End
F
B
Bb
Gb Ab
Eb
B
Gb
D7 G7 C7 Start
F
B
Bb
Gb Db
Ab
Eb
9. D
A
End
Eb
E
Eb
8.
Am Dm G7
Ab
A
G
Bm7
Ab
Bb
Gb
C
Db
F
B Db
F
Start
Db
D
C7
6.
Em7
Eb
E
Eb
Start
A7
Start D G7
A C
Eb
4.
3.
Start
G
7th fret, G Shape 8th fret, C Shape 5th fret, G Shape 6th fret, C Shape
Ab
Eb
Start
E
C F Bb
Etc…
Db
Start
B
Gb
D
A
G C
7th fret, C Shape 9th fret, D Shape
F
5th fret, C Shape 7th fret, D Shape
Bb
Etc…
Db
Ab
Eb End
2
Why Does the Circle of 4ths Work Musically? Let’s look at the chord progression Dm7 – G-7-C:
Key of C Chord Dm7 G7 C
Function ii IV I
C
Individual Notes E F G A X X X X X X
D X X
X
B
C X
X X
When going from one chord to another chord, the ear likes to hear the following:
Voice leading o Common tones from chord to chord o Step-wise movements, preferably half steps (C to B and F to E) Tension and release especially going from V7 to I chords (G7 to C) Melody notes that are chosen from chord tones
Exercises 1. A 4th interval is defined by ________ half steps. 2. Using the keyboard shown, write ii-V7-I chord progressions in the following keys. Follow the example. C
Dm- G7- C
G
_____________________
B
_____________________
Eb
_____________________
Ab
_____________________
3. Fill in the missing chords in the following ii-V-I chord progressions. They play them all in sequence.
Em7-A7- _________
_________G7- ________
Cm7-_________-________
4. Fill in the missing chord in the following progressions. They play them in sequence.
Em7- Am- ________ - G7-C
F- ________ -Gm-C7-F
(play C7 to connect to next chord progression)
5. Write out the Circle of 4ths starting with B __________________________________________________________________________
3
Circle of 4ths Examples
Song Ain’t She Sweet
Page # 5
Chord Progression C G7 C G7 Ain’t she sweet? See her coming down the street! C E7 A7 D7 G7 C Now, I ask you very confidentially, ain’t she sweet?
A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
Angels We Have Heard on HIgh
8
C A7 Dm G7 Em A7 D7 G7 Glo……….......................................ria C A7 D7 G7 In excelsis Deo,
A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb Blue Moon
14
C Am Dm G7 C Am Dm G7 Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone...without a dream in my… BRIDGE: Dm G7 C Am And then suddenly appeared before me Dm G7 C The only one my arms could ever hold Fm Bb7 Eb I heard somebody whisper please adore me G D Dm G7 And when I looked the moon had turned to gold
Love Hula Hands
60
C7 I can feel the soft caresses F C7 F Of your lovely hands, your lovely hula hands A7 D7 Every little move expresses, so I’ll understand G7 C All the tender meanings of your hula hands G7 Fingertips that say “Aloha”
A D G
E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
Say to me again “I love you” C Lovely hula hands G7 C Kou lima nani e.
4
Five Foot Two
25
C E7 Five foot two eyes of blue A7 But oh what those five foot could do D7 G7 C A7 D7 G7 Has anybody seen my girl
A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
Honolulu I Am Coming Home Again
Little Grass Shack
39
58
F Bb Bbm F I seem to hear the Pali calling me Bb Bbm F I seem to hear the surf at Waikiki A7 And from Pacific Heights Dm I seem to see the lights G7 C7 Of a city that is very dear to me
B7 I can hear the old guitars playing E7 On the beach at H么naunau A7 I can hear the old Hawaiians saying D7 Komo mai no k芒ua i ka hale welakahao
A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
Love Me Tender
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
59
87
G A7 D7 G Love me tender love me sweet, never let me go, G A7 D7 G You have made my life complete, and I love you so. G B7 C Cm7 G Love me tender love me true, all my dreams fulfilled, E7 A7 D7 G For my darling I love you, and I always will.
F Bb Oh, bring us a figgy pudding, G7 C Oh, bring us a figgy pudding, A7 Dm Oh, bring us a figgy pudding, Gm C F And a cup of good cheer.
A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb A D G E
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
5
Circle of 4ths –Down the Neck and Around the Circle! C
Bb
F
Eb
A D G
5
1. I-IV or V-I
6
R
R
8
C F Bb
B Gb
7 R
E
R
Db Ab Eb E7
D7
A 5
2. V7-I
7
G R
A D G 7
R
E
9 R
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
R
Em7
Dm7
A7 5
3. ii-V 7
G7
A D G
R
E 9
R
9
C F Bb
B Gb
R
R
Db Ab Eb
Also try: Em7-A7-D, Dm7-G7-C, and Cm7-F7-Bb using the C shape on D, C, and Bb
Ab7
Gb7
Db
B
A D G 4. V7-I
6
R
E
6 R
8
R
8 R
C F Bb
B Gb Db Ab Eb
6
All the Things You Are Kern and Hammerstein
F m7
2 B m7
You 5
are
the
17
21
29
ly
mised
on
win
the
the
ter
gel
F m7 5
a
that
less
26 B m7
Some
day
of
eve
15 G maj7
love
ly
a
ning
You
hap
are
the
20
star,
what
that
16
song.
the
you
dear
est
24
are.
27 E 7
my
8
23 C 7 5
are
30 D m7
D maj7
hush
22 E maj7
know,
F m7
lights
that
long.
19 G maj7
B7
I
7 C maj7
D7
of
time,
12 E maj7
breath
brink
glow
spring
seem
18 D 7
A m7
of
G7
14 A m7 5
bles
kiss
11 B 7
are
things 25
lone
A maj7
an
pro
10 F m7
C m7
trem
4 A maj7
6 D m7
You 13
the
D maj7
makes 9
3 E 7
28 A maj7
py
arms
will
hold
31 C m7
you
and
32 B 7
3
some 33
day
I聞ll
that
34 E 7
B m7
all
know
the
things
you
are
mo
ment 35 A
are
di
vine
when
36
min.
7