You should now understand how to create the Circle of Fifths.

You should now understand how to create the Circle of Fifths.

Working out a major triad chord:

The Circle of Fifths can also be used to produce major/minor triad chords or working out key signatures.

Let’s start on C and let’s suppose that we wanted to create a C Major chord. You probably already know how to do this, but just bear with me here.

The first note of course is obvious, it’s going to be C but it’s a three note chord and we have to figure out the other two notes.

The formula for a major triad chord, is: tonic, major 3rd, and 5th. The tonic note is C, and in it’s triad form finishes with the note G, which is a 5th apart from C. The middle note between the tonic & the 5th degree of the scale, is going to be a major 3rd, which is two whole steps or two tones: C, D, E, which completes the major chord: C, E, & G. If you wanted to create a minor chord you would follow the same process, but this time you would lower the 3rd by half a semi time or half step.