Music theory — ugh!
It’s like the musical equivalent of long division. Nobody likes it, nobody wants to learn it, it’s hard!!!!
Well — that’s why we lazy boys (TM) love to find shortcuts. And today’s shortcut is a way to remember the Circle of 4ths/5ths.
Oh boy! Ain’t We Got Fun! OK — let’s get into it, kiddies.
First of all — why do we need these pests? Eddie Vedder don’t need no steenkin Circle of 4ths. Justin Timberlake neether!
But those who want to remember little things like how many sharps or flats are in a certain key, or what the major chords (and relative minor chords) in a guitar song will be — here is today’s magic trick.
Four Crazy Guys Drank At Ed’s Bar
Freddie Can Get Drunk At Every Bar
Fidel Castro Gets Drunk At Every Bar
Fred Can’t Go Driving After Eight Beers
Fat Cats Get Down At Ed’s Barbecue
Four Chorus Girls Danced All Evening Bare
Four City Girls Dance An Excellent Ballet
Father Christmas Gave Dad An Electric Blanket
These are really amusing little bits of gossip — but they are also the order of Sharps in a key
signature.
If you have
One Sharp = F
Two Sharps = F, C
Three Sharps = F, C, G
Four Sharps = F, C, G, D
Five Sharps = F, C, G, D, A
Six Sharps = F, C, G, D, A, E
Seven Sharps = F, C, G, D, A, E, B
Now — do I REALLY need to point out what this list of Sharps has to do with the little tidbits of gossip above?
Ahhhh — but what do we do wth the FLATS ?
Before Eating A Doughnut, Get Coffee First
Be A Darned Good Country Fiddler
Boring Ed Always Drove Good Clean Fords
Need I tell you what to do with these?
OK — (SIGH) — I guess I have to:
These astute observations are really the order of Flats in a key signature.
One Flat = B
Two Flats = B, E
Three Flats = B, E, A
Four Flats = B, E, A, D
Five Flats = B, E, A, D, G
Six Flats = B, E, A, D, G, C
Seven Flats = B, E, A, D, G, C, F
Here’s something else to help you figure out where you are at: The order of Flats is the reverse of the order of Sharps.
BEADGCF-FCGDAEB
Whoa — too much information?
Well, for you gifted students who get bored in class, here is one for extra credit.
Using the formula you now know, write down the list for NINETEEN flats.
(Trick question — there are only seven)
OK, OK, settle down!
The order of Sharps is an interval of a Fifth. You count through the musical alphabet (which is only seven letters — A through G) and you loop around to the beginning when you get to the end.
So from F to C is a Fifth: F-G-A-B-C
and the next interval (five notes later) gives you G-A-B-C-D — so the distance from G to D is a Fifth.
The order of Flats is an interval of a Fourth. Again, counting backward through the musical alphabet and circling around to the end when you get the beginning (remember — The order of Flats is the reverse of the order of Sharps.)
From B to E is a Fourth: B-C-D-E
and the next interval (four notes later) gives you E-F-G-A so the distance from E to A is a Fourth.
Ho Hum! So What? How is this useful?
Well, for one thing — you can tune your guitar (for once). The strings on a guitar are E-A-D-G-B-E. Does that sequence look familiar?
And the major chords in a key are the First, Fourth and Fifth of the key. So in the Key of C you play C, F and G. In A you lay A, D and E.
Now is the light beginning to flicker on?
OK — if there is any interest — more later.
BONUS: Since you have all been so good today, I will give you my personal Circle Of Fifths chart which was passed down to me by Bilbo Baggins, himself!
(Thanks to http://oddquartet.com/)
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