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Transcript: Kyle Tucker Music Theory I – Circle of 5ths Mnemonic. The basis of the music theory 1 curriculum is the introduction of rhythm and meter, as well as melody and chord structure. In regards to chord structure, one must master the concept of the circle of fifths, a paradigm that details major and minor key signatures and their relation to one another. In order to do this, I used a few mnemonic devices so as to conveniently memorize the circle. For Cynical Gangsters, Don’t Always Eat Brownies, describes the progression of notes which must be sharp in the corresponding key signature heading clockwise around the circle from C Major (which has no flat or sharp notes), F C G D A F# C#. In the other direction the device went: BEAD Girls Constantly Fighting, to describe the progression of flatted notes, B E A D G C F. Committing these to memory is crucial as different “keys” lend themselves to entirely different sounds, and furthermore each interval within a chord (Root, Third, Fifth etc…) can be artificially raised (sharped) or lowered (flatted) by a half step to achieve a different effect. Middlesex Community College ePortfolio Academic Learning Experiences