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Cb C{{flat}} - Gb G{{flat}} - Db D{{flat}} - Ab A{{flat}} - Eb E{{flat}} - Bb B{{flat}} - F - C - G - D - A - E - B - F# {{sharp}} - C#{{sharp}}
→Circle Progression
== Circle Progression ==
Another way to progress through chords is given to us by the circle of fifths. We haven't covered that yet, but we will soon. Essentially, it arranges notes in order of fifths, with each note being a perfect fifth higher than the previous note as we traverse the circle clockwise. Here's the notes from Cb C{{flat}} to C# {{sharp}} along the circle of fifths.
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Enharmonically, Gb G{{flat}} and F# {{sharp}} are the same pitch; so the circle is just repeating at that point, indicated by the range above the notes above.
If we use only diatonic notes for any particular major key, the 7th note does not have a diatonic perfect fifth but a diminished fifth. In C Major, B-F is a diminished fifth instead of a perfect fifth; however, we can still make the circle:
We have already learned that the strongest harmonic resolution is from Dominant to Tonic (or V - I). The circle progression makes use of this - we simply traverse the circle counter-clockwise, using that note as the root of the next diatonic chord in the sequence. So in the key of C Major, a complete circle progression is:
C - F - Bdim B{{dim}} - Em - Am - Dm - G - C I - IV - vii° vii{{dim}} - iii - vi - ii - V - I
We haven't talked about that Bdim B{{dim}} or B Diminished chord yet, so let's leave it out. Let's also leave out the IV chord, since a IV - iii resolution may be a bit awkward. This leaves us with:
C Em Am Dm G C