The circle of fifths, explained
Look at Llamachord's top row of chord buttons and the order isn't alphabetical: Dâ™, Aâ™, Eâ™, Bâ™, F, C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯. That's the circle of fifths, and it's a big part of why the Omnichord is so easy to play.
What it is
A fifth is the jump from one note up to the fifth note of its scale, like C up to G. Start on C and keep jumping up by fifths: C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯, and so on. After twelve jumps you're back on C, having visited every note once along the way (D♠and C♯ count as the same note). Drawn as a circle, those twelve notes make the circle of fifths. Llamachord lays it out as a straight line.
Why neighbors sound good together
Chords next to each other on the circle share notes. C major (C, E, G) and G major (G, B, D) both contain G, and C major and F major (F, A, C) both contain C. That shared note is why moving between neighbors sounds smooth, and why so many songs do it. On the Omnichord, the most common chord changes are a short reach away.
The three-chord trick
In any key, the three most important major chords are the home chord and its two neighbors. In C, that's F, C, and G, three buttons side by side. A huge number of folk, rock, and pop songs use nothing else.
Finding the minor chords
Each major key has a relative minor that uses the same notes. For C major, that's A minor, three columns to the right in the minor row. The other common minor chords in C, D minor and E minor, sit right next to it.
Progressions to try
| Progression | Sound | Keyboard keys |
|---|---|---|
| C → G → A minor → F | The famous four-chord pop progression | 6 7 O 5 |
| A minor → F → C → G | The same chords, starting on minor for a moodier feel | O 5 6 7 |
| G → D → E minor → C | The four-chord progression in G | 7 8 P 6 |
| D minor → G7 → C | The classic jazz turnaround | I J 6 |
Changing key
Because the layout is a circle, every key works the same way. Shift the same hand shape one column left or right and the whole progression moves to a new key. To change key without moving your hand, open Mixer and transpose under the strum plate.