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    Degree and Roman Numerals

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    Japet Narciso
    1) Scale degrees and Roman numerals are methods used to analyze and describe the notes in a musical scale and their functions. Each note of a scale has a name and role called a scale degree. 2) Major and minor scales are most commonly used, such as the C major scale. Roman numerals represent the chords built from each scale degree. 3) Roman numeral analysis allows musicians to understand chord progressions in different keys using the same Roman numeral representation of each chord.

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    Degree and Roman Numerals

    Uploaded by

    Japet Narciso
    38 views2 pages
    1) Scale degrees and Roman numerals are methods used to analyze and describe the notes in a musical scale and their functions. Each note of a scale has a name and role called a scale degree. 2) Major and minor scales are most commonly used, such as the C major scale. Roman numerals represent the chords built from each scale degree. 3) Roman numeral analysis allows musicians to understand chord progressions in different keys using the same Roman numeral representation of each chord.

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    1) Scale degrees and Roman numerals are methods used to analyze and describe the notes in a musical scale and their functions. Each note of a scale has a name and role called a scale degree. 2) Major and minor scales are most commonly used, such as the C major scale. Roman numerals represent the chords built from each scale degree. 3) Roman numeral analysis allows musicians to understand chord progressions in different keys using the same Roman numeral representation of each chord.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    38 views2 pages

    Degree and Roman Numerals

    Uploaded by

    Japet Narciso
    1) Scale degrees and Roman numerals are methods used to analyze and describe the notes in a musical scale and their functions. Each note of a scale has a name and role called a scale degree. 2) Major and minor scales are most commonly used, such as the C major scale. Roman numerals represent the chords built from each scale degree. 3) Roman numeral analysis allows musicians to understand chord progressions in different keys using the same Roman numeral representation of each chord.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Degree and Roman Numerals

    A guide to Scale Degree and Roman numerals analysis

    Being able to move through different scales and notes with little effort makes it much easier
    to pick up musical material in any key and play it. Understanding the idea of keys and how they
    are built makes it easier to transpose music, and allows an artist a sense of useful structure when
    trying to compose music.

    A scale is a collection of pitches that follows a set pattern of ascending or descending


    intervals. Two of the most commonly used musical scales are Major and Minor scales. For
    example, C Major scale consist of C - Dm - Em - F - G - Am - Bdim while A Minor Scale are
    Am - Bdim - C - Dm - Em - F - G. Each of the note in the scale has its own character and
    function in a written musical piece. The degrees of the traditional major and minor scales may
    be identi ed several ways, by their function or by Roman numerals.

    Each note of the scale has a special name, called a scale degree. See example below, C
    Major Scale, Scale degree names and their functions.
    Note Degree Name Function

    C 8 Tonic The rst and last note. Tonal Center, also called as “home”

    Bdim 7 Leading tone Natural tendency to lead into the note above, the Tonic.

    Am 6 Submediant Middle of the Tonic and Subdominant

    G 5 Dominant Always wants to resolve to Tonic.

    F 4 Subdominant Sub is latin for “under”

    Em 3 Mediant It is in the middle of Tonic and Dominant.

    Dm 2 Supertonic Super is latin for “above” and the second note of the scale.

    C 1 Tonic The rst and last note of the scale

    Figure no. 1

    DEGREE AND ROMAN NUMERALS 1


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    Roman numeral analysis is a type of musical analysis in which chords are represented by
    Roman numerals. Uppercase Roman numerals (such as I, IV, V) are used to represent major
    chords while lowercase Roman numerals (such as ii, iii, vi) are used to represent minor chords.
    For instance, a chord progression from the scale of C Major (see gure no.1) are C - Am - F - G -
    C is written as I - vi - IV - V.

    Roman numeral analysis is based on the idea that chords can be represented and names by
    one of their notes, their Root. For example, in the key of A Major, ii - V - I is Bm - E - A. On the
    other hand, in the key of G Major, ii - V - I progression is Am - D - G.

    In popular music, triads may be represented as Roman numerals followed by a symbol to


    indicate if it is not a major chord. For instance, an E dominant 7 chord in the key of A Major is
    written V7. The accompaniment performers translate the Roman numerals to the speci c chords
    that would be used in a given key. See example below.

    Echo (Elevation Worship) Echo (Elevation Worship) Echo (Elevation Worship)


    Key of D Key of G

    V A D
    When night has fallen When night has fallen When night has fallen
    vi7 Bm7 Em7
    When fear is common When fear is common When fear is common
    IV2 I G2 D C2 G
    Still You’re calling me Still You’re calling me Still You’re calling me

    Figure no. 2

    DEGREE AND ROMAN NUMERALS 2


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