Music Fundamentals A Balanced Approach

Triads of the Major Scale: Use of Roman Numerals

Each note of a major scale may be used as the root of a triad. There are three ways of labeling these triads. In
Module 11, we used chord symbolsto discuss the four qualities of triads: the letter name of the root and the
triad quality. For example, EM tells us that the root is E and the triad is major. There are two other ways of
labeling triads: roman numeralsand scale degree names.Because many musicians use any of these three ways
to label and discuss triads, it is important to know these methods of labeling.

Exercise 1—Class Exercise

Listen to your instructor play the triads formed from each note in the C major scale. Since the scale does not
have any sharps or flats, the triads also do not have any accidentals.

BASICS OF PITCH

327

327 Triads of the Major Scale: Use of Roman Numerals

330 Primary and Secondary Triads of the Major Scale

333 Harmonizing Music in a Major Key Using Roman Numerals

334 Triads of the Harmonic Minor Scale: Use of Roman
Numerals

336 Primary and Secondary Triads of the Harmonic

Minor Scale

336 Harmonizing Music in a Minor Key Using

Roman Numerals

339 Workbook

MODULE 13 TRIADS: ROMAN NUMERALS

Vocabulary note

ROMAN NUMERALS

are used to indicate triads in relation to the tonic note. For example, the tonic is roman numeral I.

SCALE DEGREE NAMES

are the names given to each note of the scale (see Module 6). For example, the first note of a scale is called the “tonic.”

CHORD SYMBOLS

are the letter names and qualities of a triad. For example, the letter name and quality of a triad may be “D major” (DM).