Ruth Pheasant Piano Lessons
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Videos
  • Articles & Tutorials
  • About
  • Fees & Payments
    • Fees
    • Make a Payment
  • Learn Online
    • Beginner's Piano Lesson Package
    • Classical Compilation
    • Free Downloads
    • How to Play Fast eBook and Studies
    • Instruction Video and PDFs - Berens Study in A Minor
    • Music Theory Tutorials
    • Online Music Theory Lessons
    • Online Piano Lessons by Video Exchange
    • Piano Tutorials
    • Skype/FaceTime Lessons
    • Shop
    • Zoom Lessons for Adults
    • Zoom Lessons for Children
  • Contact

Chords, Roman Numerals, and Inversions

​In any key, you can build a triad (3 note chord) upon each degree of the scale (1 to 7), and name it after that degree of the scale, either with a Roman numeral, or the full name: 
  1. I or tonic.
  2. II or supertonic.
  3. III or mediant.
  4. IV or subdominant.
  5. V or dominant.
  6. VI or submediant.
  7. VII or leading note.

E.g. for the key of C major, you can build a chord upon the first degree of the scale by using the first degree of the scale as the root of the chord, and adding a note a 3rd above the root, and another one a 5th above the root. (See this explanation about intervals if you’re not sure what a 3rd or 5th is). So, the triad that is built upon the first degree of the scale in C major is: C, E and G. We call this chord the tonic triad in the key of C, or we give it the Roman numeral: I.

In the same way, we can build a chord upon the 5th degree of the scale of C major, and we end up with G, B and D. We call this chord the dominant triad in the key of C, or give it the Roman numeral: V.


Below are pictures showing all the chords in each major key, with their Roman numerals and names.
Chords in the key of C major.
C major
Chords in the scale of G major
G major
Chords and Roman numerals in the key of D major
D major
A major
A major
E major
E major
B major
B major
F sharp major
F sharp major
D flat major
D flat major
A flat major
A flat major
E flat major
E flat major
B flat major
B flat major
F major
F major
​Each of the chords above are in root position. This means that the root of the chord is in the bass. When you change the order of the notes of the chord, the chord is in an inversion. 

If you put the 2nd note of the chord in the bass (the note that is a 3rd above the root), it is in first inversion. See the example below. It is the tonic triad of C major in first inversion. When a chord is in first inversion, we add “b” to the Roman numeral. (An “a” can be added to indicate that a chord is in root position; e.g. Ia, IVa, or Va; but generally the Roman numeral is used alone to indicate that it is in root position.)
First inversion
C major tonic triad in first inversion - Ib
​If you put the third note of the chord in the bass (the note that is a 5th above the root), it is in second inversion. The example below shows the tonic triad of C major in second inversion. We put a “c” next to the Roman numeral to indicate that a chord is in 2nd inversion.
Second inversion
C major tonic triad in second inversion - Ic
You can do the same with any of the chords listed above, i.e. change which note is in the bass, resulting in a different inversion. E.g. have a look at the chords in G major. The chord on the fifth degree of the scale (the dominant, or chord V) is D, F sharp and A. When the D is in the bass, the chord is in root position. If we were to rearrange these notes and put F sharp in the bass (so we end up with F sharp, A, D) the chord would be in first inversion. It would be the dominant chord of G major in first inversion. See the picture below:
Dominant in first inversion
The dominant chord or chord V in G major, in first inversion - Vb
More articles and tutorials
Four part harmony tips
Flash cards are an effective way to learn and remember chords and other music theory concepts. Try my free flash cards for learning the primary chords (I, IV, V) in every major key:
Picture
Click to download flash cards
Answers:
Picture
Click to download chord chart for Roman numerals - I, IV, V in every major key
© Copyright 2015-2023 Ruth Pheasant. All rights reserved.

Useful links and resources

Privacy and terms
Site map
Online piano lessons
​Online music theory lessons
Skype, Zoom or FaceTime lessons
​Self learning

About my work and pricing

About me
Reviews and testimonials
​
Piano videos
Tuition fees
​
Make a payment

Contact

Contact form
Email me
info@ruthpheasantpianolessons.com
​
iMessage/Skype/WhatsApp +447939590354
Chat on Facebook Messenger

Qualified graduate piano teacher.
Fellow of The Incorporated Society of Musicians.
More than 25 years of experience teaching piano and music theory in person and online.
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Videos
  • Articles & Tutorials
  • About
  • Fees & Payments
    • Fees
    • Make a Payment
  • Learn Online
    • Beginner's Piano Lesson Package
    • Classical Compilation
    • Free Downloads
    • How to Play Fast eBook and Studies
    • Instruction Video and PDFs - Berens Study in A Minor
    • Music Theory Tutorials
    • Online Music Theory Lessons
    • Online Piano Lessons by Video Exchange
    • Piano Tutorials
    • Skype/FaceTime Lessons
    • Shop
    • Zoom Lessons for Adults
    • Zoom Lessons for Children
  • Contact