1. Circle of Fifths - Digital Patterns

The Circle of 5ths - Pattern 1 2 1 - 1 2 3 1 - 1 3 5 3 - 1 2 3 4 5 - Practice Material
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IF 1.1 - The Circle of Fifths

The Circle of perfect Fifths is the major driving force for the harmonies of most Western music, Classical, Popular, Blues and Jazz. A thorough knowledge of this Circle is therefore essential for the informed modern day musician.

All Jazclass Play-a-Long midi tracks for Circle of 5ths exercises start in the key of C (Concert pitch) and move around the Circle in anti-clockwise direction.
To play with the tracks transposing instruments must start in the keys indicated below.

Audio IF 1.1

Playing down in perfect 5ths around the Circle is not practical as you quickly move outside the range of your instrument. Moving down a perfect 5th is the same as moving up a perfect 4th. By alternating between these two you can play all notes around the Circle and stay within the range of your instrument.
Below the first Exercise in simple root tones. Make sure you alternate between going up a 4th and down a 5th in a regular fashion as shown.

Bb instruments start on a D, Eb instruments on an A.
Keyboard players play this exercise with both hands (separately or together) and use fingers 1 (thumb) and 4 only for this exercise.

Audio IF 1.1

IF 1.2 - Pattern 1 2 1

Playing Digital Patterns around the Circle of 5ths is good practice. It teaches you to think and move quickly from one key to the next. These patterns also come in handy in improvisation over short segments with two or more chords in a bar (such as turnarounds). Many great Jazz musicians use them that way.

The numbers of each pattern refer to the note number in each scale. Pattern 1 2 1 consist of the tonic and second note of the major scale in each of the 12 keys around the Circle.

Bb instruments start in the key of D, Eb instruments start in the key of A.
Keyboard players play root tones in the left hand and the digital pattern in the right. Keep the right hand fingering the same over each pattern. In this case combine two patterns within one hand using fingers 1 2 1 (over C D C) and 4 5 4 (over F G F). Then shift the same fingering down to the keys of Bb and Eb.

Audio IF 1.2

IF 1.3 - Pattern 1 2 3 1

Pattern 1 2 3 1 covers the first three notes of the major scale in each key.

Keyboard players again combine two patterns within the right hand using fingers 1 2 3 1 (over C D E C) and 3 4 5 3 (over F G A F). Then shift the fingering down to Bb and Eb, etc.

Audio IF 1.3

IF 1.4 - Pattern 1 3 5 3

Pattern 1 3 5 3 covers the major triad in each key.

Keyboard players play root tones in the left hand. Use right hand fingers 1 3 5 3 for all triads.

Audio IF 1.4

IF 1.5 - Pattern 1 2 3 4 5

Pattern 1 2 3 4 5 covers the first five notes of the major scale in each key.
You can play the quavers (eighth notes) 'straight' or in swing style as on the Audio.

Keyboard players play root tones in the left hand. Use right hand fingers 1 2 3 4 5 in all keys. (Good practice getting to use the thumb on black notes, a must for playing smooth pattern runs.)

Audio IF 1.5

You can also invent some patterns of your own, use the manuscript paper provided to write your ideas down, but play everything from memory as soon as possible.
The play-a-long this session plays major triad chords. To match this you can use any digital pattern over the major scale or the Mixolydian mode. Chromatic passing notes can also be used.

IF 1.6 - Practice Material