The Car Circle of 5ths (and 4ths)

My favorite circle yet!

I think this is my favorite Circle. The first car I bough myself was a 1976 VW Bug. It was 1989, and I didn't know how to drive a manual transmission but figured I would have to learn. 8 years ago, I bought another, a 1974. Hard to believe the first one I bought was only 13 years old, but my current one is over 50! Yikes.

Why do I love this one? Well, It shows the interconnectedness of the keys. In one of the many trips around the circle, my students are going from a second inversion triad (major and minor) to the root position dominant 7th chord. Since these cars are bumper to bumper, the keys connect. My students are all pretty fluent in all keys since they are using the circle of 5ths as a warm-up both in lessons and at home. Whenever they play a piece, if there is a I-V7 pattern, we will find it.

But, May's circle is a two-fer. You are also getting the Circle of 4ths. The direction of the cars is reversed and that's where the magic happens. Bumper to bumper ii-V7-I-IV chords galore. Namely, if you are in the key of C, the order is d minor 7- G7- C major 7- F major 7. Do you see how they are related in the circle?

Start on any car, and the pattern holds true the whole way round.

Magic!

Yes, I'm circle obsessed. You will be too when your students are playing in all keys in their first year of lessons. (woot! woot!)

Happy playing!

Sarah