How do you do Roman numeral analysis?

Find the key, then label each chord with the scale degree of its root, using upper case for major chords, lower case for minor, ° for diminished, and a number for inversions or sevenths. Finally, name each chord’s function: tonic, predominant or dominant.

Why are some Roman numerals lowercase?

The case shows the chord’s quality. Upper case (I, IV, V) means a major chord, lower case (ii, iii, vi) a minor chord, and lower case with ° (vii°) a diminished chord.

What are the Roman numerals in a major key?

I ii iii IV V vi vii°. In C major: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B°. The pattern is the same in every major key.

What are the Roman numerals in a minor key?

In natural minor: i ii° III iv v VI VII. Music in minor usually raises the 7th note, which makes the chord on 5 a major V and the chord on 7 a diminished vii°.

What do the numbers after a Roman numeral mean?

They show inversions and seventh chords. V7 is a dominant seventh chord; I6 is the tonic chord with its 3rd in the bass; V6/5 is a dominant seventh with its 3rd in the bass.

What are tonic, predominant and dominant chords?

The three chord functions. Tonic chords (I, vi) state or return home, predominant chords (IV, ii) move away, and dominant chords (V, V7, vii°) demand the return. Most phrases move tonic → predominant → dominant → tonic.

An applied dominant: “five of five.” In C major, a D major chord that leads to G acts for a moment as the dominant of the dominant. Its F♯ leads up to G like a leading tone.

Roman Numeral Analysis

Roman numeral analysis names each chord by the scale degree of its root: I for the chord on the 1st note of the key, V for the chord on the 5th. Upper case means a major chord and lower case a minor one, so in C major, C is I, Dm is ii and G is V. The same numerals work in every key.

By Dan Vrancic, music theory teacher · Reviewed October 2026

What is Roman numeral analysis?

Roman numeral analysis names every chord in a piece by its place in the key. A chord built on the 1st scale degree is I, on the 2nd is ii, and so on. Because the numerals describe relationships rather than letters, the same analysis works in every key: I–IV–V–I is C–F–G–C in C major and G–C–D–G in G major.

Upper case, lower case and symbols

The case of the numeral shows the chord's quality, and a symbol after it adds more:

Numeral	Chord	Example in C major
Upper case: I, IV, V	Major triad	C, F, G
Lower case: ii, iii, vi	Minor triad	Dm, Em, Am
Lower case + °: vii°	Diminished triad	B°
Upper case + 7: V7	Dominant seventh	G7
Number after: I6, V6	Inverted chord: a note other than the root in the bass	C with E in the bass

The chords in a major key

Build a triad on each note of the scale, using only the key's notes. Every major key gives the same pattern: I ii iii IV V vi vii°.

The seven triads of C major.

In a minor key, music usually raises the 7th note, which turns the chord on 5 into a major V. In A minor the chords are i ii° III iv V VI vii°: Am, B°, C, Dm, E, F and G♯°.

Chord functions: tonic, predominant and dominant

Labeling the chords is half the job. The other half is asking what each chord does. Every chord has a function:

Function	Typical chords	Job
Tonic (T)	I, i, vi, iii	States or returns home
Predominant (PD)	IV, iv, ii, ii6	Moves away from home
Dominant (D)	V, V7, vii°	Demands the return home

A complete phrase usually moves T → PD → D → T, like a sentence, and ends with a cadence.

I–IV–V–I in C major: T → PD → D → T, closing with a perfect authentic cadence.

Different chords, the same job

Several chords can do each job. ii6 shares two notes with IV and also leads to V, so it can replace IV as the predominant. vi shares two notes with I, so it can stand in for the tonic.

G major: I–vi–IV–V is T T PD D. It stops on V, a half cadence, so the sentence is left open.

How to analyze a phrase

Find the key
Read the key signature and where the music settles.
Mark the phrase
Find where it ends and name the cadence.
Find where the harmony changes
A busy pattern over one chord is still one harmony.
Label the chords
Read each chord from its bass, find its root's degree, and write the numeral, with a figure if it is inverted.
Assign the functions
T, PD or D. Does the sentence reach home?

Try it: label the functions

Phrase 1 of 5

In C major: what job does I do?

See it step by step

The interactive explainer from Lesson 26, with sound. Step through it at your own pace.

See it take shape · Interactive story

Reading a phrase like a sentence

Every chord in a phrase has a job. Name the key, label the chords, and the jobs fall into a sentence: home, away, tension, home again.

Step 1 of 7

I T → IV PD → V D → I T. Home, away, tension, home: T → PD → D → T.

The sentence

A phrase is a sentence: T → PD → D → T

I states home: the tonic (T). IV moves away: the predominant (PD). V builds tension that demands the return: the dominant (D). The final I returns home. Each umbrella above the staff groups the chords by their job.

Tonic → predominant → dominant → tonic.

Use the arrow keys while a story control is focused.

Read the story as text

A phrase is a sentence: T → PD → D → T
I states home: the tonic (T). IV moves away: the predominant (PD). V builds tension that demands the return: the dominant (D). The final I returns home. Each umbrella above the staff groups the chords by their job.
Different chords, the same job
Several chords can do each job. ii6 can replace IV as the predominant: it shares two notes with IV and also leads to V. Swap them and listen: the sentence is the same.
vi stands in for the tonic
In G major, I–vi–IV–V. vi shares two notes with I, so the first two chords are one tonic span. The phrase then moves away and stops on V: the return home never comes, so it ends with a half cadence.
The same sentence in minor
A minor: i–iv–V–i. The jobs are the same; only the chords are minor. V is major because its 3rd, G♯, is the raised leading tone that pulls up to A.
Not every V is a dominant
I–V6–I: the bass steps C–B–C and the upper voices barely move. V6 decorates the tonic instead of leading anywhere, so all three chords belong to one tonic span. Read the job, not just the label.
Five steps for any phrase
Find the key. Mark the phrase and its cadence. Set the harmonic rhythm: where does the harmony change? Label each chord from its bass. Then assign the functions and check the sentence reaches home. Work through the G-major phrase one step at a time.
Label it, then spot what’s missing
Label the function of every chord in each phrase, then name its cadence. Then find the job that is missing from a short progression.

Practice on paper

Free printable worksheets on this topic, each with an answer key.

Roman numeral worksheets with answer keys

Questions about roman numeral analysis

How do you do Roman numeral analysis?: Find the key, then label each chord with the scale degree of its root, using upper case for major chords, lower case for minor, ° for diminished, and a number for inversions or sevenths. Finally, name each chord’s function: tonic, predominant or dominant.
Why are some Roman numerals lowercase?: The case shows the chord’s quality. Upper case (I, IV, V) means a major chord, lower case (ii, iii, vi) a minor chord, and lower case with ° (vii°) a diminished chord.
What are the Roman numerals in a major key?: I ii iii IV V vi vii°. In C major: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B°. The pattern is the same in every major key.
What are the Roman numerals in a minor key?: In natural minor: i ii° III iv v VI VII. Music in minor usually raises the 7th note, which makes the chord on 5 a major V and the chord on 7 a diminished vii°.
What do the numbers after a Roman numeral mean?: They show inversions and seventh chords. V7 is a dominant seventh chord; I6 is the tonic chord with its 3rd in the bass; V6/5 is a dominant seventh with its 3rd in the bass.
What are tonic, predominant and dominant chords?: The three chord functions. Tonic chords (I, vi) state or return home, predominant chords (IV, ii) move away, and dominant chords (V, V7, vii°) demand the return. Most phrases move tonic → predominant → dominant → tonic.
What does V/V mean?: An applied dominant: “five of five.” In C major, a D major chord that leads to G acts for a moment as the dominant of the dominant. Its F♯ leads up to G like a leading tone.

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In the course: Lesson 19: Diatonic Triads, Lesson 26: Basic Harmonic Analysis

What is Roman numeral analysis?

Upper case, lower case and symbols

The chords in a major key

Chord functions: tonic, predominant and dominant

Different chords, the same job

How to analyze a phrase

Try it: label the functions

See it step by step

Reading a phrase like a sentence

A phrase is a sentence: T → PD → D → T

A phrase is a sentence: T → PD → D → T

Different chords, the same job

vi stands in for the tonic

The same sentence in minor

Not every V is a dominant

Five steps for any phrase

Label it, then spot what’s missing

Practice on paper

Questions about roman numeral analysis

Talk it through with Melo

Reading a phrase like a sentence

A phrase is a sentence: T → PD → D → T

A phrase is a sentence: T → PD → D → T

Different chords, the same job

vi stands in for the tonic

The same sentence in minor

Not every V is a dominant

Five steps for any phrase

Label it, then spot what’s missing