Circle of Fifths

The Circle is the second view in the theory panel — the classic two-ring wheel. The outer ring holds the twelve major chords, the inner ring holds each one's relative minor, and the chords in your current key are highlighted. Switch to it by clicking Circle in the panel header (Flow · Circle).

Why It Matters

The Flow Pad answers "what fits next?" with a fixed grid. The Circle answers a different question: "how far apart are these chords?" Neighboring segments are a fifth apart — the smoothest possible step in Western harmony. Once you can see that distance, you can read a progression's shape at a glance, and you start to understand why certain chords pull toward each other.

Layout

There are two rings. Both run clockwise in circle-of-fifths order, starting from C at the top:

• Outer ring — the twelve major chords: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F.
• Inner ring — each major chord's relative minor, sitting directly inside it: Am under C, Em under G, Bm under D, and so on.

             C
       F  · Am ·  G
    Bb  Dm     Em  D
   Eb               A
    Ab             E
       Db        B
            F#

Adjacent segments are always a perfect fifth apart, and a major chord shares all but one note with the minor chord directly inside it. That is the whole point of the layout: closely related chords sit next to each other, so common progressions trace short, simple paths around the wheel.

Reading the Wheel

Every major and minor chord is always shown. The chords that belong to your current key are lit; the rest stay dimmed so you can still see them but they fade into the background.

In any major key the lit chords form a tidy block: three majors across the top of the outer ring with their three relative minors tucked beneath them. Change key and that block rotates to a new spot on the wheel — seeing it move is the fastest way to feel how keys relate.

Recommendation Arcs

After you place a chord, a colored arc appears on the outer edge of each segment, rating it as a follow-up to what you just played:

These ratings come from the same functional-harmony engine the Flow Pad uses, so the advice is consistent across both views. When a genre profile is active, the arcs adapt to it.

Hover for an Explanation

Hovering a segment shows a tooltip with the degree's name and feel — for example Dominant (V) — Strong tension, pulls back to I. If you have already placed a chord, the tooltip also explains the transition, such as V → I: Strong resolution — dominant pulls home. It is a quick way to learn the theory while you work, not just follow the colors.

Inserting Chords

The Circle is mouse-driven: click the outer ring to insert a major chord, click the inner ring to insert its relative minor. Clicking a lit (in-key) chord inserts the diatonic version at your current complexity, so sevenths and ninths are honored. Clicking a dimmed chord inserts it as a plain borrowed triad — handy when you want a chromatic colour outside the key. The recommendation arcs then update for your new last chord.

The mode and complexity toggles are shared with the Flow Pad, so a change in one view carries to the other:

• Note / Chord / Arp — insert a single root note, the full chord, or an arpeggiated pattern.
• Triads / 7ths / 9ths — set the chord size. Triads are clean and simple; sevenths and ninths add richness for jazz, R&B, and neo-soul.

Keyboard Shortcuts

The Circle shares the theory panel's keyboard shortcuts. The numpad 1–9 keys select cells on the Flow Pad, not the ring — use the mouse to pick chords on the Circle. Insert duration, rest, undo, and the Flow/Circle toggle all still work here. See the keyboard shortcuts reference for the full list.

Tips

• Follow green to stay smooth — a path of green arcs around the wheel is a coherent progression.
• Short hops sound natural — moving to an adjacent segment is a fifth's step, the most stable move in tonal music. Long jumps across the wheel sound bolder.
• I–IV–V are neighbors — in any major key, the tonic sits between IV and V on the outer ring. That cluster is the backbone of pop, rock, and folk.
• Drop inward for the relative minor — the minor directly inside any major chord is its relative minor (C → Am). Swapping a chord for its inner neighbor is an easy way to add emotion without leaving the key.
• Use it to learn, the Flow Pad to work fast — many users compose on the Flow Pad and switch to the Circle when they want to understand a progression they like.