The OP is trying to make the point that music is not a simple as the circle of fifths. That the circle of fifths has very limited value. The OP doesn't need to know why and how Don Felder came up with the progression for Hotel California, but the OP does know and understand that he didn't consult the circle of fifths to do it, and in turn, someone is not going to pull their circle of fifths out of their pocket and figure it out on the spot. I thank you all for proving that point.
Rllink, your confirmation bias is showing. You may want to open your mind and listen to those who are attempting to answer the complicated question you have asked. If the above is your attitude, you will never understand their viewpoints on how and why the circle is useful. In the quote above, it seems you don't want to understand. Of course, it's your prerogative, but if that is the case why disguise this as a question in the first place?
You are correct that the circle of fifths is not a magical tonic that will cause you to grok music overnight. It's more like a cheat sheet for diatonic music. If you know how to read it, it can be a useful tool for looking up answers when transcribing or transposing. If you are inclined to understand theory(which I would recommend you to do) it can serve as a conceptual framework for how keys and chords relate to one another. It is only the "holy grail" in as much as it is a basic map of these relationships.
You don't need the circle to have fun and make beautiful music. Plenty of musicians have proved themselves genius without it. However, it can be a useful tool for understanding, learning, and developing your knowledge of how diatonic music works. Think of it like the color wheel... it is just a silly diagram, right? Nobody needs to know how blue and red relate to each other or how they relate to other colors like green or orange. Ultimately, visual artists need only a developed sense of aesthetics to succeed. For those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of color, however, the color wheel can be a useful tool for categorizing and quantifying chromatic relationships. The circle of fifths is no different in this regard.
Here is my humble response to your original question (which I hope you will not dismiss out of hand ):
In order to grasp the meaning of the circle of fifths, you first need a certain level of theoretical understanding. These puzzle pieces are very helpful:
- What is a cadence? How can I identify a cadence when it occurs in music I am listening to?
- What are diatonic functions? How can I use diatonic functions to increase musical tension and then resolve that tension in a glorious return to the tonic?
Without this theoretical knowledge, you may never fully understand what the circle of fifths attempts to illustrate.
The most important lesson the circle of fifths teaches is this: A resolves to D resolves to G resolves to C resolves to F resolves to Bb resolves to Eb resolves to Ab resolves to Db resolves to Gb/F# resolves to B resolves to E resolves to A. That is what the circle is all about. That is the big deal you are looking for.
Is it earth shattering? No. But it is useful once you understand how it works.
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