The Circle of Fifths is used to memorise the order of the keys and the order of the sharps or flats within key signatures.

Circle of Fifths – Major Keys
The major keys are the ones in the middle circle coloured grey. To memorise the circle of fifths, start with the key of C which has no sharps nor flats. Moving clockwise, each key has one sharp added. So, the key of G major has one sharp which is F sharp. Followed by D major which has two sharps ( F sharp plus C sharp). The sentence “Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bread” is used to learn the oder of the sharps in the key signatures.

If you move counterclockwise from C major (top of the circle), the key signatures use flats instead of sharps. So the first key signature going anticlockwise from C Major is the key signature of F major which contains one flat (B flat). To learn the order of the flats use the acronym “BEAD” and the letters GCF. So F major has 1 flat (B flat). Followed by B flat major which has two flats (B flat and E flat) and so on.

Note that there are twelve major keys. However, the bottom two key signatures in the circle of fifths have two different names and can either be written with flats or sharps. Keys with two different names are called enharmonic keys. So F sharp major can also be written as G flat major and C sharp major can also be written as D flat major.

Minor Keys
The minor keys are the ones in the inner circle coloured yellow. There are twelve minor keys. Two of these keys have two different names. D sharp minor is the same as E flat minor and A sharp minor is the same as B flat minor.

Each minor key has a relative major key which is found on the outer grey circle. For example, the relative major key of A minor is C major and the relative major key of E minor is G major. Related keys share the same sharps or flats in the key signature.

Finally, another quick way to memorise the order of the keys in the circle of fifths (both minor and major keys) is that clockwise, all keys are a perfect fifth apart. For example C to G is a perfect fifth and G to D is a perfect fifth. A perfect fifth is the interval of 7 semitones between two notes.

Intro | Ab / / Db | Ab / / / | Ab / / Db | Ab / / / |

Verse 1
I love You
Ab
Lord
Oh Your
Db
mercy never
Ab
fails me

Eb/G
All my
Fm
days
I've been
Db
held in Your
Eb
hands

From the moment that I
Fm ---- Db
wake up
Until I lay
Ab
my
Eb/G ---- Fm
head
I will
Db
sing of the
Eb
goodness of
Ab
God

Chorus 1 Db All my life You have been Ab faithful Db All my life You have been Ab so, so Eb good Db With every breath that I am Ab able Eb/G Fm I will Db sing of the g Eb oodness of Ab God Verse 2 I love Your Ab voice You have Db led me through the Ab fire In Eb/G darkest Fm nights You are Db close like no Eb other I've known You as a Fm father Db I've known You as a Ab friend Eb/G Fm I have Db lived in the Eb goodness of Ab God REPEAT CHORUS Bridge Ab/C Your goodness is Db running after It’s Eb running after Ab me Ab/C Your goodness is Db running after It’s Eb running after Ab me With my Ab/C life laid down I’m sur Ab rendered now I Eb give You every Fm thing Ab/C Your goodness is Db running after It’s Eb running after Ab me REPEAT BRIDGE Interlude | Ab / / Db | Ab / / / | REPEAT CHORUS 1 Chorus 2 Db All my life You have been Ab faithful Db All my life You have been Ab so, so Eb good Db With every breath that I am Ab able Eb/G Fm I will Db sing of the g Eb oodness of Fm God Tag I will Db sing of the g Eb oodness of Ab God