Module 1

Syllabus

Experience a new and unique way to unlock the powerful musical truths contained in the Circle Of Fifths. Rather than just another dry theory course, you will build the Circle yourself from the ground up, and experience these ideas with your own ears and instrument to make the Circle your own.

In just ten days you’ll explore the Circle Of Fifths from a variety of perspectives to Learn its concepts, Practice exercises which ingrain the sounds of the Circle in your ears, and Apply your new Circle skills to real musical tasks.

MODULE 1

Module 1

The Circle of Fifths is all about the relationships between musical pitches. The best way to make it yours is to build it from the ground up, and apply it to your own music-making.

In this module, you will:

  • learn about the most fundamental relationship between musical pitches and how this generates the Circle of Fifths,
  • practice finding these pitch relationships on your instrument, and
  • apply them to making music.

MODULE 2

Module 1

In Module 1, we saw how the 12 pitches of the Western musical system arrange themselves on the Circle. Scales are another way that we organize pitches. How do they relate to the Circle of Fifths?

In this module, you will:

  • learn about the most universal musical scale and where it lives on the Circle of Fifths,
  • practice finding this scale on your instrument, and
  • apply the scale to your own music-making.

MODULE 3

Module 1

Though the major scale is quite pervasive in Western music, it can sometimes be a bit tricky to improvise and compose with. The Circle of Fifths sheds new light on the ins and outs of the major scale and its unique qualities.

In this module, you will:

  • learn how the Circle can derive the major scale for you, and how we can understand some of the inner workings of the major scale (and discover another closely related scale),
  • allow the Circle to lead you to practice and explore the major scale in a different way on your instrument,
  • take these understandings and apply them to bringing the major scale into your own music-making.

MODULE 4

Module 1

Many people see the Circle of Fifths as a handy way to look up key signatures – and not much else. However, when we understand the musical truth behind the Circle, remembering and deriving key signatures becomes easy, natural, and sensible.

In this module, you will:

  • learn how to understand and remember the major scale key signatures, and how step-wise scales live on the Circle.
  • let the Circle organize how you practice your major scales on your instrument in a way that deepens your connection with these scales and their key signatures, and
  • apply the same techniques to transposing melodies to different keys.

MODULE 5

Module 1

Since the Circle of Fifths contains all the pitch relationships in the Western tonal system, other scales can be derived and understood on a deeper level by relating them to the Circle.

In this module, you will:

  • learn where the minor scales live on the Circle, how they relate to the major keys, and begin to understand why they sound different than major scales,
  • practice and explore the minor scales in a different way on your instrument,
  • apply the new understandings to creating music with the minor scale.

MODULE 6

Module 1

Scales and intervals are not the only pitch relationships we can find in the Circle of Fifths.

In this module, you will:

  • expand into harmony, and learn how to derive triad chords from the Circle,
  • practice and explore these chords on your instrument, and
  • apply the understandings to creating music with major and minor chords.

MODULE 7

Module 1

Chords themselves will move in time from one to another as they form the “vertical” structures of our music.

In this module, you will:

  • learn the most common chord progression, why it’s so popular, and where it lives on the Circle,
  • use the geometry of the Circle to practice playing this progression, and
  • apply this progression to your own music-making.

MODULE 8

Module 1

All chord progressions can be easily understood and derived from the Circle of Fifths.

In this module, you will:

  • learn another hugely popular and useful chord progression, find its pattern on the Circle,
  • use the geometry of the Circle of Fifths to practice playing this progression, and
  • apply this progression to your own music-making.

MODULE 9

Module 1

Scales and chords are really just two ways of playing the same pitches. Each scale has its own “native chords” that can help you choose and embellish your harmonies.

In this module, you will:

  • learn where to find the rest of the chords in the major scale,
  • let the Circle of Fifths guide you as you practice these chords, and
  • apply them to building and understanding more chord progressions in your music-making.

MODULE 10

Module 1

In the end, pitches, intervals, scales, and chords are all related. The Circle of Fifths tells us how, why, and guides us in our aural comprehension and musical use of these relationships.

In this module, you will:

  • learn how the Circle ties together pitches, chords, and keys in one diagram,
  • practice using the circle to find chords, and
  • apply this new paradigm by exploring the idea of modulation.