Circle Progression: Chord Cycles in Major and Minor

Some progressions sound as though every chord inevitably leads to the next. The harmony keeps moving forward, passes through every scale degree, and returns to the tonic without an abrupt turn.

One of the best-known examples is the circle progression:

major: I–IV–vii°–iii–vi–ii–V–I
minor: i–iv–VII–III–VI–ii°–V–i

Its effect does not come from a “magical” set of chords. The progression works because the roots move by fifths, each resolution leads into the next point of tension, and the voices can connect smoothly.

What is the circle progression?

The circle progression is a diatonic harmonic sequence in which chord roots move mainly down a fifth or up a fourth.

It is also described as:

• a descending-fifths sequence;
• a circle-of-fifths progression;
• a fifths sequence;
• a circle progression.

The circle progression in major

The complete diatonic cycle in major is:

I–IV–vii°–iii–vi–ii–V–I

In C major:

C–F–Bdim–Em–Am–Dm–G–C

The progression begins and ends on C, so C major is heard as the tonal center. Between those two points, it passes through all seven diatonic triads in the key.

The seventh-chord version

Adding diatonic sevenths makes the motion smoother and harmonically richer:

Cmaj7–Fmaj7–Bm7♭5–Em7–Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7

Formula:

Imaj7–IVmaj7–viiø7–iii7–vi7–ii7–V7–Imaj7

Seventh chords add more common tones and more stepwise motion between voices. The progression therefore sounds less like a series of separate blocks and more like one continuous line.

The circle progression in minor

In natural minor, the degrees form this sequence:

i–iv–VII–III–VI–ii°–v–i

In A minor:

Am–Dm–G–C–F–Bdim–Em–Am

However, the minor dominant Em has a relatively weak pull toward Am. Functional harmony therefore usually turns the fifth-degree chord into a major triad or dominant seventh:

Em → E or E7
v  → V or V7

This gives the practical minor form:

i–iv–VII–III–VI–ii°–V–i

In A minor:

Am–Dm–G–C–F–Bdim–E7–Am

G♯ does not belong to A natural minor. It comes from harmonic minor and acts as the leading tone:

G♯ → A

This semitone resolution clearly establishes Am as the tonic.

The minor version with seventh chords

A common form is:

Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7–Fmaj7–Bm7♭5–E7–Am7

Formula:

i7–iv7–VII7–IIImaj7–VImaj7–iiø7–V7–i7

This harmonic framework appears frequently in jazz, popular song, and pop music.

The major and minor versions use the same cycle

Compare C major and A minor:

C major: C  – F  – Bdim – Em – Am – Dm   – G  – C
A minor: Am – Dm – G    – C  – F  – Bdim – E7 – Am

Almost all the chords are the same because C major and A minor are relative keys. Three elements change:

1. the starting and ending point;
2. the chord heard as the tonic;
3. the major dominant E7 in A minor.

When the chain ends with G → C, C major is heard more strongly. When it leads to E7 → Am, A minor becomes the center.

It is therefore more useful to think of the major and minor forms as one cycle that begins and ends at different points, rather than as two unrelated formulas.

Why the progression works

1. The roots move by fifths

Consider the roots of the minor form:

A → D → G → C → F → B → E → A

Read upward, most of these movements are fourths. Read downward with octave displacement, they are fifths.

The motion V → I is one of the strongest patterns in tonal harmony. The circle progression repeatedly echoes that contour, even though not every pair of chords functions as a literal dominant and tonic within the key.

In other words:

the root motion resembles V → I
but the chords retain their functions within the main key

Each chord feels partly resolved, yet immediately creates momentum toward the next one.

2. One root movement becomes a tritone

In C major, the roots move like this:

C → F → B → E → A → D → G → C

Almost every step is a perfect fourth upward. The exception is:

F → B

This is an augmented fourth, or tritone.

The reason is simple: the progression remains within the seven notes of one key. Continuing only through perfect fifths would quickly introduce chromatic notes and move the harmony outside the diatonic collection.

The tritone step does not break the chain. The diminished Bdim chord is unstable enough to continue naturally toward Em.

3. Neighboring chords share notes or connect by step

For example:

C = C–E–G
F = F–A–C

C remains as a common tone, while the other voices can move stepwise:

E → F
G → A

Then:

F = F–A–C
Bdim = B–D–F

F remains in place, while the other voices move to nearby notes.

With inversions, the entire chord shape does not need to follow the root in large jumps. The upper voices can move by step or remain stationary while the bass carries the fifth-based motion.

4. Tension builds toward a clear cadence

In major, the ending is:

Dm → G → C
ii → V → I

In minor:

Bdim → E7 → Am
ii° → V7 → i

The final three chords form a familiar predominant–dominant–tonic pattern. That cadence gives the longer sequence a convincing point of arrival.

Why is it a sequence if the chords are different?

In a melodic sequence, one motif repeats from different starting notes. In the circle progression, the repeated model is harmonic:

chord → chord a fourth higher

But the progression is diatonic. It adapts to the notes of the key, so the chord qualities change:

major → major → diminished → minor → minor → minor → major

The model of movement remains consistent while the exact intervals and chord types follow the scale.

You do not need to play the entire cycle

The full progression contains eight chords, including the repeated tonic. Songs often use only part of it or begin from a different scale degree.

For example:

vi–ii–V–I
Am–Dm–G–C

or:

ii–V–I–IV
Dm–G–C–F

or:

IV–vii°–iii–vi
F–Bdim–Em–Am

All these fragments preserve the direction of the full circle progression.

It is therefore useful to recognize not only one fixed formula, but the underlying root chain:

... → A → D → G → C → F → B → E → A → ...

Song examples

A song’s exact harmony may vary between arrangements and transpositions. The examples below show common harmonic frameworks rather than a mandatory transcription of every version.

Gloria Gaynor — “I Will Survive”

Watch on YouTube

The main progression in A minor is:

Am–Dm–G–Cmaj7–Fmaj7–Bm7♭5–E7–Am

Functions:

i–iv–VII–III–VI–iiø–V7–i

This is close to a textbook example of the complete minor circle. The progression repeats, but it retains momentum through the changing harmonic functions and the resolution E7 → Am.

Bart Howard — “Fly Me to the Moon”

A common harmonization of the opening is:

Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7–Fmaj7–Bm7♭5–E7–Am7

The roots complete the full cycle. The middle clearly outlines C major through Dm7–G7–Cmaj7, while the ending returns to A minor through Bm7♭5–E7–Am7.

This example is especially useful for hearing how the circle progression connects relative major and minor.

Selena Gomez & the Scene — “Love You Like a Love Song”

The progression in C♯ minor is:

C♯m–F♯m–B–E–A–D♯dim–G♯7–C♯m

Formula:

i–iv–VII–III–VI–ii°–V7–i

Here, the complete minor circle appears not in jazz or classical music, but in a modern pop arrangement. Rhythm and timbre change the surface, but the harmonic framework remains the same.

Joseph Kosma — “Autumn Leaves”

In a common version in G minor, the opening is:

Cm7–F7–B♭maj7–E♭maj7–Am7♭5–D7–Gm

Relative to G minor:

iv–VII–III–VI–iiø–V7–i

The progression does not begin on the tonic. It first moves through B♭ major, then the cadence Am7♭5–D7–Gm establishes the relative minor center.

This example shows how the circle progression can connect major and minor regions within one continuous chain.

How to use the circle progression in your own music

Start with the complete cycle

First play the progression without changing it:

C–F–Bdim–Em–Am–Dm–G–C

or:

Am–Dm–G–C–F–Bdim–E7–Am

This makes the underlying logic easier to hear.

Choose a different starting point

To make the progression sound less like an exercise, begin on another scale degree:

Dm–G–C–F–Bdim–Em–Am

or:

F–Bdim–Em–Am–Dm–G–C

The cycle remains the same, but the phrase takes on a different shape.

Use only a fragment

Four chords may be enough for a verse:

Am–Dm–G–C

You can reserve the rest of the cycle for the chorus:

F–Bdim–E7–Am

Change the harmonic rhythm

Each chord does not need to last for a full bar. For example:

| Am      | Dm  G | C       | F  Bdim | E7      | Am |

Unequal chord durations hide the exercise-like symmetry.

Add inversions

Keep common tones in the same voice and move the remaining notes to the nearest available position. On guitar, compact triads on neighboring string groups often produce smoother results than full root-position chords.

Change chord types deliberately

You can replace:

Am → Am7 or Am9
Dm → Dm7 or Dm9
G → G7 or G13
C → Cmaj7 or C6

Extensions must still support the melody. If the vocal line contains F, Cmaj7 will not create a conflict, while Cadd♯11 changes the modal color more substantially.

Do not be afraid to interrupt the cycle

The circle progression is a framework, not an obligation to use every chord. Stop on the chord you need, repeat a fragment, or turn toward another cadence.

How to explore the circle progression in Six Strings App

In Harmony, select C major or A minor and find every chord in the progression. Compare how the same collection of chords receives different scale-degree labels in relative keys.

In the Circle of Fifths, trace the roots:

A → D → G → C → F → B → E → A

Here, the circle is not being used to move between keys. It serves as a map of chord-root motion within one diatonic system.

In the Song Builder, build the complete cycle, then:

• begin it from different scale degrees;
• shorten it to four or six chords;
• change the duration of individual harmonies;
• compare triads with seventh chords;
• transpose the progression into another key.

A 12-minute exercise

1. Play the major cycle

C–F–Bdim–Em–Am–Dm–G–C

Start with one strum per chord, then play steady quarter notes.

2. Play the minor cycle

Am–Dm–G–C–F–Bdim–E7–Am

Listen specifically for G♯ → A inside the resolution E7 → Am.

3. Compare the minor and major dominants

Play two endings:

Bdim–Em–Am
Bdim–E7–Am

Decide which one establishes the tonic more clearly.

4. Begin from another scale degree

Play:

Dm–G–C–F–Bdim–Em–Am

Try to hear C major in the middle and A minor at the end.

5. Add seventh chords

Am7–Dm7–G7–Cmaj7–Fmaj7–Bm7♭5–E7–Am7

Listen not only to the bass, but also to the movement of the top voice.

6. Reduce the cycle to a song section

Choose four neighboring chords from the cycle and write an eight-bar verse. For the chorus, use the next four chords and end on the tonic.

Common mistakes

Learning only the minor version. The major and minor formulas describe the same diatonic cycle with different tonal centers.

Using a minor dominant and expecting a strong resolution. Em → Am is valid, but E7 → Am establishes the minor tonic more clearly because of G♯.

Treating every pair of chords as dominant and tonic. The roots repeat the direction of V → I, but the actual functions are determined by the overall key.

Playing every chord only in root position. The bass may reveal the circle clearly, but the upper voices can jump. Inversions create smoother voice leading.

Treating the tritone F → B as a mistake. It is the diatonic exception that keeps the entire progression within one key.

Always completing the full cycle. Songs often use only a fragment, begin from another point, or substitute some of the chords.

What to study next

• Relative Keys — why C major and A minor use the same collection of chords.
• Parallel Keys — how the mode changes while the tonic remains the same.
• Common Chord Progressions — other widely used harmonic patterns for songwriting.
• Harmony — diatonic chords, cadences, and audio examples in any key.

Summary

The circle progression moves through a diatonic chain of fifths and returns the harmony to the tonic.

major: I–IV–vii°–iii–vi–ii–V–I
minor: i–iv–VII–III–VI–ii°–V–i

It works because of three elements:

fifth-based root motion
smooth voice leading
a strong closing cadence

The major and minor forms use almost the same chords. Their different starting point, ending, and dominant determine which tonic the listener hears as the center.