Circle of Fifths Quiz - Music Theory
TLDRThis quick video quiz tests viewers' knowledge of the circle of fifths, a tool used to understand keys, scales, and key signatures in music theory. After posing ten questions about topics like relative keys, differences between melodic and harmonic minor scales, and locating keys with certain sharp or flat signatures, the answers are revealed. The video encourages further learning for those unfamiliar with the circle of fifths and provides reinforcement even for those who may have scored perfectly on the quiz.
Takeaways
- 😀 The circle of fifths shows relationships between keys, key signatures, sharps and flats
- 👍 Watch the supplementary YouTube video if you're new to the circle of fifths
- 🤔 The quiz tests your existing knowledge of the circle of fifths and key signatures
- 📝 The circle shows major keys in black, minor keys in red brackets and key signatures in blue
- 🎵 It's called the 'circle of fifths' because each key progresses by an interval of a fifth
- 🔀 Relative major and minor keys share key signatures and sit opposite each other on the circle
- ♯ B major has 5 sharps - easy to see on the outer blue ring of the circle
- ♭ F minor has 4 flats - count round the outer blue ring to check
- ⚖️ Melodic minor raises 6th & 7th degrees ascending, harmonic minor just raises the 7th
- 🎹 A-flat minor's key signature can be read directly from the bottom of the circle
Q & A
Why is the chart called the 'circle of fifths'?
-It's called the 'circle of fifths' because the chart shows the relationships between major and minor keys, with each key connected by intervals of fifths. So as you go clockwise or counter-clockwise on the outer circle, you move up or down by fifths from one key to the next.
What do the three concentric circles represent?
-The outer black circle shows the major keys, the middle red circle shows the relative minor keys, and the inner blue circle shows the key signatures - which sharps or flats are in each key.
What is a relative key?
-Relative keys share the same key signature. For example, E minor is the relative minor of G major because both keys contain one sharp (F♯). Relative minor keys are always found a minor third below their relative major key.
How can the circle help identify key signatures?
-You can use the outer blue circle to quickly determine how many sharps or flats are in a key. For example, the key signature with 5 sharps would be B major. For flats, you start at C and count counter-clockwise.
What's the difference between harmonic and melodic minor scales?
-The harmonic minor raises the 7th degree of the natural minor scale. The melodic minor raises both the 6th and 7th degrees when ascending, but uses the natural minor scale when descending.
When can you find double sharps in minor keys?
-When the 7th degree of the minor scale is already sharp, raising it further creates a double sharp. This happens in keys like G# minor or D# minor.
Which scale degree is sharpened in the key signature of a new major key?
-The 7th degree of the major scale is sharpened when moving clockwise to a new key signature. For example, the 7th degree of G major is F, which becomes F♯ in the key of D.
Which scale degree is flattened in the key signature of a new major key?
-The 4th degree of the major scale is flattened when moving counter-clockwise to a new key signature. For example, the 4th degree of F major is B, which becomes B♭ in the key signature of B♭.
What makes A♭ minor difficult to identify?
-A♭ minor contains many flats (6 total) which is unusual compared to more common minor keys. Its position on the bottom left of the circle means it can be easy to overlook.
How can fully understanding the circle of fifths help musicians?
-It provides a clear visual representation of keys and their relationships. This helps with identifying key signatures, understanding scale construction, analyzing harmony and chord progressions, composing music, and more.
Outlines
😀 Introducing the Circle of Fifths Quiz
The narrator introduces a quiz on the circle of fifths to test viewers' knowledge. He mentions that there is a free YouTube video explaining the circle of fifths in detail. He then presents 10 quiz questions related to the circle of fifths, its structure, relative keys, differences between scale types, and key signatures. The narrator says he will reveal the answers later for viewers to self-evaluate.
😊 Answering the 10 Circle of Fifths Quiz Questions
The narrator provides answers to all 10 circle of fifths quiz questions in turn. The answers cover topics like why it is called the circle of fifths, the 3 circles showing major keys, minor keys, and key signatures, relative keys, identifying key signatures, differences between harmonic and melodic minor scales, double sharps, new sharps/flats in key signatures, and the key signature for A-flat minor specifically.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡circle of fifths
💡key
💡relative key
💡sharps/flats
💡scale degree
💡harmonic minor
💡melodic minor
💡double sharp
💡key signature
💡quiz
Highlights
The circle of fifths is a wonderful thing that tells us everything we need to know about keys and key signatures.
The circle shows how the whole key system is organized by going up or down in fifths.
The quiz tests your knowledge of the circle of fifths and skills with keys and key signatures.
The circle in black shows major keys, the circle in red shows minor keys, and the blue circle shows key signatures.
Relative keys like E minor and G major share a key signature and are relative to each other.
B major has 5 sharps and F minor has 4 flats based on the key signature circles.
The difference between harmonic and melodic minor is in how the 6th and 7th scale degrees are treated.
Double sharps can occur in minor keys like G-sharp, D-sharp or A-sharp minor when raising the 7th degree.
The new sharp added in major keys is always the 7th degree of the scale.
The new flat added in major keys is the 4th degree of the scale.
The key signature for A-flat minor contains all flats, easily found on the circle.
Scoring 10 out of 10 means you have mastered knowledge of the circle.
Scoring less means you can use this to revise and improve your circle of fifths knowledge.
Scoring very low means you should review the fundamentals by watching the instructional video.
The circle of fifths is an invaluable tool for keys, scales and understanding music theory.
Transcripts
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