# Circle o Fifths: Guitar+Piano — Chords, Scales & Songwriting > Interactive music theory tool for learning the circle of fifths and chord relationships. (iPhone/iPad app by Tim Mueller.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-o-fifths-guitar-plus-piano/id1499417636 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Tim Mueller](https://appshunter.io/developer/513184781) - Category: Music, Education - Price: $4.99 - Rating: 4.80/5 from 1,048 App Store ratings · 56 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 12 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2020-02-19 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-o-fifths-guitar-plus-piano/id1499417636/reviews.md ## What is Circle o Fifths? Turn music theory into something you can actually play — on guitar or piano. Circle o Fifths is the fastest way to find the chords in any key, learn the scales to solo over them, and write your own songs. A handy practice tool that's a game changer for learning songs, writing your own, and finally understanding how chords fit together. NEW in 2.2: A Scales tab — see any scale on the guitar fretboard or piano keyboard, color-coded by degree, with the five CAGED shapes, full-neck patterns, and a Licks Library of ready-made riffs (blues, rock, metal, country, bluegrass, jazz, and worship). Plus guitar chord charts that flip vertical or horizontal. NEW in 2.1: 21 color themes — tap the palette to redress the entire app; a few are suspiciously reminiscent of your favorite films, albums, and bands. NEW in 2.0: Piano mode and a chord progression builder. Switch between guitar and piano on the fly — chord diagrams, sounds, and strumming all swap to match. Head to the new Scales tab to see any scale light up on the fretboard or keyboard, work through CAGED shapes and full-neck patterns, and learn ready-made licks note for note. Jump to the Progressions tab to build your own chord progressions, pick a tempo, and hear them played back with realistic strumming patterns. And tap the palette to recolor the entire app — wheel, badges, and chord charts — with 21 handpicked themes. Features: • 3 full rings with support for all major and minor keys • 36 interactive notes/chords on the circle • NEW! Scales tab — see any scale on guitar or piano, color-coded by degree - The five CAGED shapes plus full-neck patterns (Diagonal, 3 notes/string) - Chord-tones view to spotlight the root, 3rd, and 5th - Licks Library — ready-made riffs in blues, rock, metal, country, bluegrass, jazz, and worship - Tempo control to run any scale up and back • NEW! Guitar chord charts flip vertical or horizontal • 21 color themes — personalize the wheel, badges, and chord charts (just tap the palette icon) • Key badge in the center of the wheel — your current major and relative-minor key, plus its key signature, at a glance • Toggle between guitar and piano modes — affects both sounds and diagrams • Synthesized piano with rich, multi-voice triads • 36 real guitar audio recordings of every chord on the circle • 36 guitar chord charts — drawn right in the app and themed to match; just tap and hold to learn • Piano chord diagrams with highlighted notes on a keyboard • Color coding to help you reference and learn the note/chord you're playing • Chords tab to see all chords in each key, with major/minor relationships • Progressions tab — build your own progressions and hear them play back - Pick any major or minor key (24 total) - Tap I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii° to add chords to your track - NEW! Follow along — see the current chord and what's next as it plays - Tempo control and loop for practice - Strum patterns: Whole, Quarter, Eighth, Folk, Rock - Built-in metronome The outside ring of the circle has all the major keys. Tap any of them to hear and change the key. The color coding tells you which number each chord is. The middle ring has all the minor keys, and the inner ring has the diminished chords. Tap any chord to hear it, or tap and hold to see how to play it on guitar or piano! If you're playing in a major key, use the color coding up top to understand the chord relationships. If you're playing in a minor key, use the color coding on the bottom. Use the Chords tab to play songs in any key, transpose on the fly, and see major/minor key relationships. Use the Progressions tab to compose, practice over a loop, or hear common progressions like I-IV-V or ii-V-I in any key. Use the Scales tab to find the notes to solo over any chord — pick a pattern, target the chord tones, and grab a lick to get you started. ## Key features - Interactive circle of fifths - Major, minor, and diminished keys - Audio recordings of chords - Guitar chord charts - Color-coded note/chord reference - Chords tab for key relationships ## What do users think of Circle o Fifths? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Simple and user-friendly - 🚀 Helpful introduction to music theory - 💡 Great tool to learn the circle of fifths - 🎨 Useful for songwriting and chord progressions **Cons** - 🐛 Sizing/formatting issues on smaller screens - 🐛 Touch responsiveness issues - 🐛 Incorrect chord samples (B major sounding like Emajor) - 🔇 Sound issues (app asking to turn up volume) **Commonly reported bugs** - Viewport not dynamic, causing cut-off edges - No E# in the key of F#, should be F dim - B major chord sample sounding like Esus **Most requested features** - Add more chord variations and voicings - Provide options for different instruments (e.g., ukulele) - Include major and minor pentatonic scales ## Recent user reviews (10 of 56) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-o-fifths-guitar-plus-piano/id1499417636/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Major good timez *2026-08-22* Top tier update. I learn music so easy. 5 star! Lets to move chords around for future. Folk and Rock patterns! Loistava!!! ### 5/5 — Nice Updates But,,,, *2026-08-21* In the progressions tab an Emaj chord as it sounds on the app is played as a G# chord in standard tuning on guitar and a Bmaj chord as it sounds on the app is played as a D# chord on guitar in standard tuning. Other chords may also be set to higher pitches. However, The piano chords in the progressions tab are the right pitch to play along with on a guitar in standard tuning. Overall I think you are developing the app in good ways. simplicity is genius as they say as well as efficient! **Developer response:** GSP 2026! Thank you for pointing out that bug! This has been fixed in version 2.2.1. ### 5/5 — Excellent ! *2026-07-18* Rien à ajouter ### 4/5 — 可以增加中文支持吗 *2026-07-16* 可以增加中文支持吗，谢谢！ ### 5/5 — Simply a Great tool! *2026-07-14* This app keeps getting better. Great Job! **Developer response:** Thanks so much for the review! Glad to hear you like the app! ### 4/5 — Works great, nice reference and tool! *2026-07-13* Like another review, there was no sound initially, but it started working after I tapped something or it need a little time connect the audio driver, but it started working. My request is to add PARTS (A,B,C,etc.) to the Progressions tab, with loop counters, so we can construct whole songs. Then it would be incredible as a songwriting tool and composition theory machine. General MIDI support would also be nice. The ability to select external MIDI devices for rhythm and tones would also be useful! I’m saving a star for those features. That all said, the price~performance ratio is superb. Buy it! **Developer response:** Thanks so much for the review! Great ideas! Watch out for more updates in the future! ### 4/5 — piano version good update *2026-06-17* I’m enjoying playing about with this! **Developer response:** Hi gw3m, Just wanted to reach out to let you know that piano mode has been added! Tim ### 5/5 — Useful *2026-04-28* Great tool and helpful **Developer response:** Hi Hemming N, So glad to hear you like the app and it's helpful, thanks for the review! Tim ### 2/5 — Almost Awesome but Unusable *2026-01-28* The view port for the app is not dynamic, so on my phone the left and right edges are cut off, making the left and right sides unusable. Developer - to fix, don't set a fixed width OR rotate the circle based on chord selection, such that the selected root chord rotates to the top, thus making the cut off edges not an issue. Til then, wasted $3 - refund please **Developer response:** Hi Nate52790, Just wanted to reach out to let you know that this has been fixed. The app now properly scales across all devices screen sizes. Tim ### 1/5 — Error with key of F *2025-10-29* There is no E#. Please change the diminished chord in the key of F# to F dim. Thanks. ## Frequently asked questions about Circle o Fifths ### What is the Circle of Fifths: Music Theory app? This app is a music theory tool designed to help users learn and practice the circle of fifths. It provides interactive elements, audio recordings, and guitar chord charts to understand key relationships and chord progressions. ### What are the key features of this music theory app? Key features include an interactive circle of fifths with three rings for major, minor, and diminished keys, 36 audio recordings of chords, guitar chord charts, color-coding for easy reference, and a dedicated chords tab for exploring key relationships. ### Is the Circle of Fifths: Music Theory app free to use? Yes, the application is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the provided description, suggesting a completely free experience. ### Who would benefit from using this music theory app? This app is ideal for musicians, songwriters, and music students who want to improve their understanding of music theory. It's particularly useful for learning chord relationships, practicing in different keys, and aiding in song composition. ### How does the app help with learning guitar chords? The app includes 36 guitar chord charts that can be accessed by tapping and holding on any note or chord within the circle of fifths. This allows users to see how to play each chord and learn its position on the guitar. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.2.1 — 2026-08-23 The biggest update yet — a whole new Scales tab. • See any scale on the guitar fretboard or piano keyboard, color-coded by degree. Guitarists get the five CAGED shapes, full-neck patterns, and a Licks Library of ready-made riffs, now including Metal and Bluegrass. • Guitar chord charts now flip vertical or horizontal — whichever you read faster. • Progressions follow along — watch the current chord and what's coming next as your track plays. • Refreshed in-app help, cleaner controls, and a bunch of fixes. *Fixed in 2.2.1: guitar chords in the Progressions tab now play at the correct pitch — they were sounding a major third sharp. Thanks to the player who reported it! Thanks for playing! Ideas or requests? We'd love to hear them. ### 2.2 — 2026-08-20 The biggest update yet — a whole new Scales tab. • Scales tab — see any scale on the guitar fretboard or piano keyboard, color-coded by degree. Guitarists get the five CAGED shapes, full-neck patterns, and a Licks Library of ready-made riffs, now including Metal and Bluegrass. • Guitar chord charts now flip vertical or horizontal — whichever you read faster. • Progressions follow along — watch the current chord and what's coming next as your track plays. • Refreshed in-app help, cleaner controls, and a bunch of fixes. Thanks for playing! Ideas or requests? We'd love to hear them. ### 2.1.1 — 2026-07-27 Polishing a few things. ### 2.1 — 2026-07-13 Make Circle o Fifths yours — this update is all about personalization and polish: • 21 color themes — tap the palette to redress the entire app; a few are suspiciously reminiscent of your favorite films, albums, and bands. • Themed chord charts — the guitar and piano chord diagrams match your chosen theme and look crisper than ever. • New key badge — the center of the wheel now shows your current major and relative-minor key, plus its key signature, at a glance. ### 2.0.2 — 2026-06-30 A smoother, more polished Circle o Fifths: • Your key now stays in sync everywhere — pick a key on the Chords or Progressions tab and the wheel follows right along. • Tap the 1–7 scale-degree badges on the circle to hear each chord in the current key. • A revamped tutorial now covers Piano mode and Progressions — and only appears on your first launch. • Smoother animations, refined haptics, and new glass-style touches throughout. • Plus a handful of small fixes to make everything feel just right. Enjoying the app? 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User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*