Knowra Roman numeral analysis Roman numeral analysis Roman numeral analysis labels chords by their scale degrees and qualities, showing how they function within a key. Uppercase and lowercase numerals distinguish major and minor triads.
Scale degree : A scale degree is a note’s position within a scale, usually identified by number. Each numeral names the degree on which its chord is built.
Tonic (music) : The central pitch and chord of a key, providing a sense of rest and resolution. The I or i chord marks the tonal center in a numeral analysis.
Chord progression : A sequence of chords forming the harmonic course of a piece or passage. Numerals summarize a progression independently of its sounding key.
Lead sheet : A compact musical chart giving melody, lyrics, and chord symbols, often without a fully specified accompaniment. Unlike numeral analysis, chord symbols usually name absolute roots rather than scale-degree relations.
Diatonic chord : A chord built only from notes belonging to a particular scale. Roman numerals commonly describe chords formed from one key’s scale.
Dominant (music) : The fifth scale degree and its chord, which commonly creates tension directed toward the tonic. The V chord’s pull toward I is one of the notation’s clearest functional patterns.
Harmonic function : The role a chord plays in relation to tonal stability, preparation, and tension. Functional readings explain why numeral patterns create direction and resolution.
Jazz chord notation : A system of chord symbols specifying roots and extensions, such as Cmaj7 or G7. It names chord sonorities directly instead of encoding their positions within a key.
Triad : A three-note chord made from a root, a third, and a fifth. Basic numeral labels encode the triad built above each scale degree.
Chord inversion : A chord arrangement in which a note other than the root occupies the bass. Figures added below numerals specify a chord’s bass and inversion.
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