OpenTube

Circle Of Thirds (Music Theory EVERYONE Should Know)

Ricky Comiskey

344,872 views

Get the lesson PDF for FREE here: https://rickysguitar.com/free-pdf?con...
Order Your Copy Of My Amazon Best Selling Book Today: https://rickysguitar.com/paperback

Eyup FretHeads!
Most beginners get told to learn the “Circle of Fifths”…
but the truth is, that comes way later.

If you want to understand how chords actually connect inside a key, the Circle of Thirds is the real starting point.

Every chord in the key is spaced a third apart, and once you see that pattern, suddenly:

• You know which chords naturally belong together
• You can find the notes inside any chord instantly
• You understand why certain chords sound “right”
• Relative major and minor relationships make sense
• Writing progressions gets 10× easier

Think of it as the “map” inside the key.
Instead of memorising long lists or guessing, you follow the pattern and everything falls into place.

If you’ve never seen the Circle of Thirds before, this is the one I wish someone had shown me on day one.

#GuitarLessons #GuitarTheory #ChordsMadeSimple #CircleOfThirds #BeginnerGuitar #Fmajor #GuitarEducation #rickysguitar

20 Comments

@rickysguitar Creator 4 years ago (edited) Pinned

Get the lesson PDF for FREE here: https://rickysguitar.com/freepdfs?contact.pdf=pdf108
Order Your Copy Of My Amazon Best Selling Book Today: https://rickysguitar.com/paperback

@deanjohnson4564 4 years ago

30 years buddy, 30 YEARS and I've never come across this or figured it out for myself. Always been so envious of folks that can rattle of the notes of any chord and now in 14 minutes and 38 seconds I can do it too. Thank you sir.

@amjPeace 4 years ago

Over the decades I have had 4 different music teachers, none of whom ever mentioned the cycle of thirds. You are my hero, Ricky!

@gazzie12000 4 years ago

As a guitar teacher, I'm really impressed with how clear and easy this explanation makes it for beginners, or anyone wanting to start learning chord theory. Very well presented and explained!! it's always easy to say "just stack 3rds on top of each other", but using the "circle of thirds" diagram, and counting round, it is a great visual aid - and is simple to grasp straight away.

@stephensmith60 3 years ago

Every once in a while someone highly developed comes in-to our lives to help us learn something we'd probably Never figure out on our own. You sir, are that special individual! Thank you for ALL that you're doing for us who struggle with trying to figure all this out. Today feels like my birthday, and I've been given a special gift! 👏🏻😊🥂

@notyourpapa 4 years ago

Your no nonsense way of teaching is amazing. We gather these little pieces of information all the time but you connect the dots and have it make sense. Thank you.

@ritchyandmary 4 years ago

Ricky! Thank you! I am literally a 53 year old that watched this and thought holly shi!te! Why did it take 35 years for someone to say that to me! I've been playing bass since the 80s and while I was able to play, I gave up on theory as the 4/5 cycle just didn't make sense to me - I knew there was something foundational that I didn't know and this was it - thank you so much! I've spent a couple of hours watching you over the past couple of days after watching this - thankful you are posting free lessons as this literally was the foundation that had been missing all these years!

@jeffroberts6865 4 years ago (edited)

The stacking of thirds is a key way chords are built. I think this is a good intro to that. However, now I am going to sound persnickety for a couple of reasons. The first might be obvious: the mnemonic only works for the key of C and we would need a circle of thirds diagram for each key we are working in. The second might be less obvious: the extended chords built using this method are not necessarily what people might think they are. For example that’s not C7, F7 or G7, but Cmaj7, Fmaj7 and Gmaj7. Similarly, it’s not C9, C11 or C13 but Cmaj9, Cmaj11 and Cmaj13.

I think for a bit more completeness you could have covered that some of the intervals are major thirds (eg C-E, G-B) and some are minor thirds (eg E-G, B-D), because that difference is fundamental to scale and chord building. Also, perhaps mention there are chords that cannot be made by stacking thirds.

@anthonyodonnell6105 4 years ago

This is what I tell people is the most important thing I ever learned.

@PlutonicAxis614 4 years ago (edited)

This absolutely blew my mind. I've really been held back by how much I never learned the "science" behind it. For lack of a better word. I've only recently started digging into theory at 22 and still it pretty intimidating. But this just opend a door I never imagined I'd ever walk through. Thanks man. You're a legend. I never thought I'd know how to add a 7th off the top 0f my head

@superkeltic5593 3 years ago

Ric, As a guitar/theory teacher, all I gots to say is: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

@vernongunn3971 4 years ago

Never bothered with theory! Too complicated! At least it was until I discovered Ricky's amazing videos! For the first time in 50yrs of playing guitar I am beginning to understand the mechanics of music and how it works with your videos. Great job Ricky!

@ProgRockDan1 4 years ago

I’m classically trained and understand circle of fifths. Never thought of the cycle of Thirds. Interesting presentation

@zaphods2ndhead193 4 years ago

Interesting. I have been playing piano and guitar by ear (and notation) for 35 years. My brain, deep down, knew this information but this Circle of Thirds put it in a visual form that I have never thought of before. Man, I could have used this for a LONG time.

@webocoli 4 years ago

An absolute reverlation - makes it look so easy!!

@kd2mill 3 years ago

I was taught the line below "E" on the treble clef is always "C". The line above the "A" on the bass clef is always "C". Count down on the bass clef and up on the treble clef (lines AND spaces). It just follows the alphabet (A-G). No acronyms needed. The "Circle of Thirds" is a revelation, though. Good stuff.

@MrMurphyum 3 years ago

I feel like someone who has spent his whole life in a dark room, groping for the chair, the table, the glass, etc., but only now has he found the light switch and is seeing the room for the first time.