In tonal music, we can classify chords in keys to find patterns across pieces of music. So that we can make these comparisons and learn more about how music works, we label chords with Roman numerals.

We use roman numerals from I to VII to label chords built on scale degrees  to . We will also use upper and lowercase to tell the difference among chord qualities. When you write uppercase roman numerals with pencil, please add lines to the top and the bottom of the whole numeral. Something like this:

This will help me tell the difference between your uppercase and lowercase numerals.

We say roman numerals with cardinal numbers. For example we call the tonic triad “one.”

Triads in major

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
major	minor	minor	major	major	minor	diminished
Do-Mi-Sol	Re-Fa-La	Mi-Sol-Ti	Fa-La-Do	Sol-Ti-Re	La-Do-Mi	Ti-Re-Fa

Note the degree sign after the lowercase numeral for the leading-tone triad (vii°).

Seventh Chords in major

I7	ii7	iii7	IV7	V7	vi7	viiø7
major	minor	minor	major	dominant	minor	half dim.
Do-Mi-Sol-Ti	Re-Fa-La-Do	Mi-Sol-Ti-Re	Fa-La-Do-Mi	Sol-Ti-Re-Fa	La-Do-Mi-Sol	Ti-Re-Fa-La

Note the superscript 7 for root position seventh chords, and the slash through degree sign for vii^ø7.

For seventh chords, we say the word “seven” after the roman numeral when we speak roman numerals. For example, iii⁷ is said “three seven.”

Triads in minor

i	ii°	III	iv	V	VI	vii°
minor	diminished	major	minor	major*	minor	diminished*
Do-Me-Sol	Re-Fa-Le	Me-Sol-Te	Fa-Le-Do	Sol-Ti-Re	Le-Do-Me	Ti-Re-Fa

*Note that V and vii° use Ti instead of Te. This means an accidental!

Seventh Chords in minor

i7	iiø7	III7	iv7	V7	VI7	vii°7
major	half dim.	major	minor	dominant*	major	fully dim.*
Do-Me-Sol-Te	Re-Fa-Le-Do	Me-Sol-Te-Re	Fa-Le-Do-Me	Sol-Ti-Re-Fa	Le-Do-Me-Sol	Ti-Re-Fa-Le

*Note that V⁷ and vii°⁷ use Ti instead of Te. This means an accidental!

We specify qualities of diminished seventh chords when we speak roman numerals. So, in minor, the supertonic seventh chord is said “two half-diminished seven,” and the leading-tone seventh chord is said “seven fully-diminished seven.”

If you want to specify quality for major and minor chords, say the quality first and then the roman numeral. For example, “minor one” and “major four seven.”

Inversion Symbols

Since there are lots of times when the root is not the lowest note, we need a way to show this with our roman numerals. To do this we borrow our inversion symbols from figured bass.

We pronounce the inversion symbols with cardinal numbers as well, saying them after the roman numeral: the superscript number before the subscript number. For example, we say “two six-five” forii⁶₅. (For the most complicated version of this, vii°⁴₂ is said “seven fully diminished four-two.”)

Triad Inversions

Root Position	First Inversion	Second Inversion
No added symbol	superscript 6	superscript 6 and subscript 4
V	ii6	I64

Seventh Chord Inversions

Root Position	First Inversion	Second Inversion	Third Inversion
superscript 7	sup 6  and sub 5	sup 4 and sub 3	sup 4 and sub 2
V7	ii65	V43	I42

Memorizing Roman Numerals

Please memorize the roman numerals, correct qualities, diatonic pitches (solfege), and inversion symbols for all of these chords in major and minor. You will spend a huge amount of your theory coursework analyzing music with these symbols. The sooner you know them, the better. I cannot overstate this point.