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5.5.7 Circle of 5ths: Key Signatures Chart
We owe a small debt of gratitude to German music theorist and prolific but under-appreciated composer, Johann David Heinichen, who, in 1711, published his version of the Circle of Fifths, a key signatures chart. This simple “clock face” shows the special relationships between keys with tonic centres a fifth apart (Figure 40 below).
If Mr. Heinichen were to rise from his grave today, who knows how many thousands (or, perhaps dozens) of songwriters and composers would show up and form a queue leading to his tombstone to shake his hand and thank him for his somewhat useful musical clock face.
And also to ask him, by the way, if there’s life after death, what it’s like if there is, why did he rise from his grave, and would he like to stay or go back.
FIGURE 40: Heinichen’s Circle of Fifths
The bottom three elements of the Circle of Fifths show enharmonic keys. For example, F♯ major is the enharmonic equivalent of G♭ major.