Roman Numerals

Each degree of a scale has a chord that can be built from it. Roman numerals can denote the function of that chord. A scale reads 1 - 7 but the capitalisation refers to the gender of the chord built apon that degree of the scale

This page is acting more as a reference. If you're interested in how chords are constructed, please check here.

Major scale:

• I - Major
• ii - Minor
• iii - Minor
• IV - Major
• V - Dominant (major chord with flattened 7, i.e G7 = G B D F, where as Gmaj7 would be G B D F#)
• vi - Minor [the 'relative' minor]
• vii - Half-diminished, or m7(b5)

These all have a mode applying to them...

In short, a mode is the same scale but starting and ending on a different degree.

• I = Ionian (normal major scale)
• ii = Dorian (minor scale with a #6)
• iii = Phrygian (minor scale with a b9)
• IV = Lyidan (major scale with #11)
• V = Mixolydian (major scale with b7)
• vi = Aeolian (natural minor scale)
• vii = Locrian (minor scale with b9 and b5)

N.B The 'Aeolian' mode is the same as what most people know as the natural minor.

(Harmonic) Minor scale:

• i - Minor
• ii - Half-diminished, or m7(b5)
• III - Major
• iv - Minor
• V - Dominant
• VI - Major
• VII - Augmented, this is a major with a sharpened 5th, i.e F#+ = F# A# D

And finally, the Melodic Minor scale:

• i - Minor
• ii - Minor
• III - Augmented
• IV - Dominant
• V - Dominant
• vi - Half-diminished, or m7(b5)
• vii - Half-diminished, or m7(b5)

N.B Anyone with a classical education will know this scale is different on way up and way down, however in a lot of modern music, simply the above example is used when talking about this scale. For more on the origianl, read here.

There are too lots of other scales, the modes, which I touched apon briefly earlier, many synthetic scales, scales derived from other parts of the world, blues scales, pentatonics etc etc, however these will be covered elsewhere.

If you're wondering what on earth a 'Half-diminished' is, and what a 'Full Diminished' is, it's contained here.