Ukulele Circle of Fifths

very useful chart in writing songs or improvising chord progressions. for example the song "Wild World" by Cat Stevens it's in the key of C. by looking at the Circle of 5th going clockwise it's from C-G-D-A. Wild World's first four chords is Am-D-G-C that's going counterclockwise from A-C.
Ther are a bunch of hit songs that used cirlce of 5th e.g. "Yesterday", "Five Foot Two", etc.

heh.. wow, the intenet is like a time machine. my comment/question was OVER 2 years ago :)

but thanks for the reply!

JT
 
This is possibly the most useful I've found on UU. Thanks so much!
 
Most musicians playing in bands today have no idea what the name of the advanced chords they're using actually are. If you own a guitar, you noodle around with the chords until you find something that sounds cool. If you play the piano, you use a fourth or fifth finger in your chording hand and suddenly you have more complicated and interesting voicings. This is a good thing, but it's different for us ukulele players. We only have four strings and two octaves. We have more limits on what our instrument can do, and while the ukulele will certainly do lots of fancy chords, you shouldn't be spending a lot of time trying to memorize those things. Just noodle and find the cool sounds and don't worry what they're called.
I've been telling my friends and band mates this for years now. I tell them that I'm not concerned with what chord should be next. I just want to write the chord that's next in the song, whatever shape or sound that might be. And I try and stress that if you play most anything with confidence and conviction, people will be impressed.
Thanks for posting your chart, it will be most useful!:cool:
 
Wow, this is great. I've never seen this post. I have a cool circle of fifths that I got from http://playukulelebyear.blogspot.com/, but I like how this one has the chord fingerings right there. So convenient! The sweet little mammoth (mastodon?) is just a bonus. I'm glad this post got a boost.
 
further clearing up the D-flat/C-sharp confusion?

Thanks, Gary. This is a brilliant diagram.

But I would like to further clear up the D-flat/C-sharp confusion. As Db-major has 5 flat signs and C#-major has 7 sharp signs, it is more natural for the diagram to say Db-major, together with Db-F-Ab, instead of C#-E#-G#. Moreover, it corresponds to Bb-minor (5 flat signs) as currently on the diagram.

Similarly B-major (5 sharp signs) would correspond to G#-minor (5 sharp signs), more naturally than to Ab-minor (7 flat signs) as currently on the diagram.

As you have also recorded the use of C#-major (7 sharp signs) and Ab-minor (7 flat signs), I would like to here when people use that.

You may also want to inform the following sites:

http://www.uketheplanet.com/uke-chords.html
http://www.chordie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11999
http://ukulele.com.pl/akordy.php

Thanks.
 
This is myself nagexcellent, thankyou

This is just ace, many thanks.

LOL the captcha word thing got stuck in the title
 
I know this is an old thread, but I'm glad it bubbled up again. I've forgotten more music theory than I ever learned. This chart and the songwriting tips are really helpful. Thank you!
 
Gary you ROCK!

Fear not grasshopper, the voodoo of music theory only hurts those who resist. And that, as we know, is futile. You will end up following the rules of western music even if you don't follow no damn rools.

Don't worry about the little mastodon, he knows that bad ole chart will keep him safe.

I was 42 years old when I got my BS in Music Therapy, but not before this self taught musician survived a force feeding of music theory! Gary is right on, my fear kept me stuck in the same old songwriting loops... YUK! Thanks for reminding me of my old friend the Circle of Fifths as I embark on a new love affair with yet another string instrument!

:rock: Gary you rock!
 
Could someone explain me what this is??? Im so beginner sorry :) what's the circle of fifths? how can i read it?
 
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If you go to post 5, you'll be able to read an explanation. Keep on reading in the thread and you'll get more information.
 
Thanks for digging up this old thread and I printed the sheet just for fun. I think that about 98.5% of the music we play on ukes lives in the top section with keys between one flat and three sharps. But who ever ventures in to the world of keys with five or six sharps of flats?
 
This is a great thread. It should keep bubbling up. I understand the circle but sometimes I get confused. I guess being old causes that. What I need now is a chart like this for Baritone Ukulele tuned DGBE. Is one available?
 
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Great thread and chart and interesting discussion over the years.

Chord progressions (1 4 5 and permutations) themselves work very well but if we look at a Major progression at what works then for one we see:-

1 Maj
2 min
3 min
4 Maj
5 Maj
6 min
7 dim

Is typical, just try it and see how it sounds to you.

Now for a minor progression

1 min
2 dim
3 Maj
4 min
5 min
6 Maj
7 Maj

Again give it a try.
 
Use the same chart, but move one wedge clockwise to find the desired chord shapes. For example, for G chords, use the shapes in the neighboring D wedge.

Similarly, for D tuning, use the shapes two wedges clockwise.

Here's the fifths pattern mapped directly onto the fretboard. Notice that I've drawn the arrows to point in the "up a fourth, down a fifth" direction (counter-clockwise on the circle diagram), since that's how roots move in standard fifths progressions, the most common application of this pattern. If you follow the pattern in the opposite direction, you're going clockwise on the circle diagram or, in terms of progressions, "backcycling".

View attachment 119021

I think I see what you’re saying. I’ll try it out. Thanks.
 
Great thread and chart and interesting discussion over the years.

Chord progressions (1 4 5 and permutations) themselves work very well but if we look at a Major progression at what works then for one we see:-

1 Maj
2 min
3 min
4 Maj
5 Maj
6 min
7 dim

Is typical, just try it and see how it sounds to you.

Now for a minor progression

1 min
2 dim
3 Maj
4 min
5 min
6 Maj
7 Maj

Again give it a try.

How and what? I'm pretty confused about what is being asked here.

Are you saying to just try playing the progression of chords with their corresponding qualities in relation to the Major and minor scales?
For example, for a C-Major progression, playing the chords: C Maj --> d min --> e min --> F Maj --> G Maj --> a min --> b dim

Am I getting that right?
 
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