Listen to the whole journey
- A
- F#m
- Bm
- E7
- A
How the tension moves
Phase 1 • Diatonic Tonic
The Home (Tonic — Degree I)
ATonal rest function (Riemann, 1893): Acts as the acoustic gravitational center and tonal anchor. All notes of the diatonic scale find stability in this chord. Playing A establishes the consonant foundation of the key — generating neither tension nor urgency of movement.
Listen
- A
Phase 2 • Subdominant and Relative
The Landscape (Subdominant — Degrees vi and ii)
F#mDiatonic voice leading (Schoenberg, 1911): Transitioning to F#m introduces the first harmonic departure from the tonic. By sharing common tones with the opening chord, voice leading across the neck remains smooth and organic. It provides a warm, introspective minor texture before driving the progression toward the dominant.
Listen
- A
- F#m
Phase 3 • Dominant with Tritone
The Adventure (Dominant — Degree V7)
Bm → E7Instability and harmonic pull (Rameau, 1722): The dominant chord E7 harbors the leading tone and the diatonic tritone interval. This internal dissonance produces the peak acoustic tension of the progression, and the ear waits for the return home.
Listen
- Bm
- E7
Phase 4 • Authentic Cadence
The Return (Cadential Resolution)
ARelease and resolution of tension: The descending fifth bass movement (E7 to A) instantly dissolves all accumulated harmonic tension. The tritone resolves contrary-motion into the third and root of A, completing the cycle with total acoustic balance.
Listen
- E7
- A
Check it with your ear
Two short questions to solidify what you've just read. There's no grade or record, so if you get it wrong, you can listen again and try again.
Which chord creates the tension that asks to return to A?
Listen to both endings. Which one sounds finished?
Try it on your guitar
Play and stay there for four beats without moving. Then play . That relief you feel is the resolution this lesson talks about. Repeat it three times and then try the whole circle at 85 BPM.
Inside the key of A major
A major is built from A, B, C#, D, E, F# and G#. It has three sharps, C#, F# and G#.
F# minor uses the same seven notes, which makes it the relative minor. Compared with D major, only one note changes, G# becomes G. Compared with E major, only one note changes, D becomes D#.
In E7, the third G# and the seventh D sit six semitones apart, a tritone. In the guitar shape of E7, G# sounds on string 3, fret 1 and D on open string 4.
With a capo it also works with other shapes. You can play it with the G shape and the capo at fret 2 or with the E shape and the capo at fret 5 or with the D shape and the capo at fret 7.
Theoretical Foundations
Hear and practise this circle in context
The bass line and the tonal centre
Play A alone, then play the four chords in order: A – F#m – Bm – E7.
Tonic, preparation and dominant
Apply that map to A – F#m – Bm – E7 rather than assuming that the same chord must play the same role in every song. Name the starting chord A aloud; then pause after F#m and ask which note you still hear as home. Repeat after Bm and after E7.
When the dominant contains a tritone
In this circle, E7 is a dominant seventh chord: the “7” in its symbol marks the added seventh. Its third and seventh form a tritone, an interval of three whole tones that creates tension toward A. Play E7 → A below and follow those two inner voices: the third rises by a semitone toward the tonic, while the seventh descends by step to a note in the tonic chord.
Listen
- E7
- A
Common tones and economical fingering
Move from A to F#m slowly and listen for a pitch that can remain still; if there is none, listen for voices that move by the smallest intervals. Repeat with F#m to Bm, Bm to E7, and the return to A.
A measured practice routine
First play A – F#m – Bm – E7 with one downstroke at the beginning of each measure.
Transpose without changing the functions
Compare the two versions by singing the first note of A and then the first note of its counterpart in the new key.