Whether you’re a compose or not, understanding chords is an essential part of being a musician. Our guide to chord labelling gives you a look at the three main types of labelling- Roman numerals, Letters and Figured Bass.
Roman Numeral Chord Labelling
Our first chord labelling system is using Roman numerals.
Roman numerals are simply the numerical system that originated from Ancient Rome. Roman numerals are an extremely clear way for us to indicate to the performer what chord we would like them to play. Each chord is built on a different degree/note of the scale or key we are in, this scale degree gives us the number for the chord.
You will need to understand your Roman numerals up to seven. They are as below:
I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII
Let’s look at an F major scale and label each chord with a Roman numeral. Remember the notes of the F major scale are F, G, A, B b, C, D, E.
As you can see the first chord is labelled with the Roman numeral I and has the notes F, A, C
The second chord is labelled II and has the notes G, B, D
The third chord is labelled III and has the notes A, C, E
etc.
Let’s now apply the labelling to another scale. The below scale is in the key of G major, we know that it is G major as there is one sharp in the key signature. Remember the notes in G major are,
G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G.
Now we can simply place a triad/ chord above each note. By doing this we end up with the seven chords of G major!
We can also do the same thing even if we are in a minor key. In order to recognise that you are in a minor key however, you need to make sure you are looking at the accidentals in the scale. When writing chords in minor keys, we will most commonly use the harmonic minor scale.
The below scale is in E minor. We know this because it has one sharp in the key signature. We also have the raised seventh, D sharp. Now we can simply label all seven chords in this minor scale. The labelling does not change between the major and minor scales, it is just important to be really clear what key you are in before you label.
In order to label your chords it is important to be confident with key signatures and scales. Without this knowledge it is difficult to work out the correct name for each chord.
In order to label your chords it is important to be confident with key signatures and scales. Without this knowledge it is difficult to work out the correct name for each chord.
Upper and lowercase labelling
Another important aspect when labelling your chords is to know the difference between upper and lowercase labelling. A chord is always defined by its root note, this is what gives us the actual number for the chord. But then it is defined by its tonality i.e. is it major, minor, augmented or diminished?
We can show the tonality of our chord using the labelling. If we use a lower case Roman numeral, we have a minor triad and if we use an upper case Roman numeral we have a major triad.
Furthermore, if your triad is diminished i.e. the interval of a 5th is a diminished 5th, then you will add a small circle to the top right of your Roman numeral.
If the interval of a 5th is an augmented 5th this triad then becomes augmented meaning you need to add a small plus sign to the top right of your Roman numeral.
An Augmented triad is not commonly seen in your major scales but diminished triads are. Augmented triads are usually seen in your harmonic minor scales. See below an example in the major key of F major with each chord labelled correctly to show the root and also the tonality.
Notice how Chord I is major, chord ii is minor, chord iii is minor, chord IV is major, chord V is major, chord vi is minor and chord viio is diminished! This pattern is true for all major scales!
Now see below an example in the minor key of E minor with each chord labelled correctly to show the root and also the tonality.
Notice how chord i is minor, chord ii is minor, chord III+ is augmented, chord iv is minor, chord V is major, chord VI is major and chord viio is diminished. This is true for all harmonic minor scales.
When clear with this method of labelling, chords are then defined by the inversion that they are written in. Read on to find out more.
Chord Inversions
There are three main inversions of diatonic chords. These are:
- Root Position
- First Inversion
- Second Inversion
There are more but these are the main three you should be clear on in basic triads.
Root position is the most usual position of a chord. This is where the chord has it’s root at the bottom and will be the lowest note. The root is the home note of the chord, so root position will always sound the most stable.
1st inversion has the third of the chord at the bottom. The third is the second note of the chord. This inversion will sound slightly less stable than the root position chord.
2nd inversion has the fifth of the chord at the bottom. The fifth is the third note of the chord. This inversion will sound very unstable in comparison to the other chord inversions.
Labelling Chord Inversions
To label the inversions of chords effectively, it is important to apply the following method.
For root position chords, we will place a small letter ‘a’ next to the chords labelling. Although this will often be omitted in practice.
- For first inversion chords, we will place a small letter ‘b’ next to the chords labelling.
- For second inversion chords, we will place a small letter ‘c’ next to the chords labelling.
- Augmented chords are represented with a small + sign in the top right corner
- Diminished chords are represented with a small o sign in the top right corner.
Chord Labelling with Letters
Chords can also be represented using letters.
We represent major chords with a capital letter and no other symbols. For example a capital A on it’s own tells the performer to play an A major chord. If you would like this to be a major seventh chord then you have to place a capital M next to the A as well as a small seven in the top right corner. If you do not do this it can be confused with a dominant chord, more on this later!
We represent minor chords with a lowercase letter. You may also see a lower case letter with a lower case m next to it, although this is not strictly necessary. The m is useful when you are writing out letters that are similar in their lowercase and uppercase form. If you would like a minor seventh chord then you simply place the small seven in the top right corner as you did with the major seventh chord.
A dominant seventh chord is represented with an uppercase letter with a seven in the top right corner. Remember a dominant seventh is built on the fifth note of the major scale so whatever the capital letter is, you play the fifth note of that major scale with the additional seventh. If for example you have a capital C, the you will not have root c but rather your root will be G, the fifth note of the scale.
An augmented chord is represented using a small plus sign in the top right corner. You may also see a sharp sign to signify the raising of the fifth or even an abbreviated version of the word augmented ‘aug’. For example c augmented would be written as follows C+.
A diminished chord is represented using a small circle in the top right corner but you may also see a flat sign to signify the diminished fifth or simply the abbreviated version of the word diminished ‘dim’.
A half diminished chord has a very similar symbol to the diminished chord but the small circle now has a slash through it.
If extending the chord, a small number of what the additional third is will be written in the top right corner.
Figured Bass, a third way!
Another slightly older way to label chords is by using figured bass. Figured bass originated from the baroque period. Here is a basic description of what it is:
You can find more out about figured bass here. For now we will do a very brief description.
The numbers in a figured bass labelling, literally indicate to us the interval above the root.
We would label a root position chord with the figures 5/3. This will mean a third above the root and a fifth above the root. Take a look at the C major chord below and you can see how this works.
We would then label a first inversion chord with the figures 6/3. This will mean a third above the root and a sixth above the root. Again, take a look at the C major chord below and you can see how this works.
We would then label a second inversion chord with the figures 6/4. This will mean a fourth above the root and a sixth above the root. Take a look at the chord below.
We would then label a first inversion chord with the figures 6/3. This will mean a third above the root and a sixth above the root. Again, take a look at the C major chord below and you can see how this works.
We would then label a second inversion chord with the figures 6/4. This will mean a fourth above the root and a sixth above the root. Take a look at the chord below.
We would then label a second inversion chord with the figures 6/4. This will mean a fourth above the root and a sixth above the root. Take a look at the chord below.
What’s next…..?
- For a deep dive into Figured Bass, See our complete guide.
- Look at chords in any key with our chord guides.
