Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do the Roman numerals used to analyze music make your eyes cross? Do you want someone to explain how it works? Roman numeral analysis might seem a bit cryptic. However, it can be really useful once you understand it. Read more answer the question, “What exactly does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V mean?”
How do the Roman numerals in the preceding sentence work?
- The first group of Roman numerals deals with seventh chords.
- Conversely, the second and third groups of Roman numerals describe three note major and minor chords call triads.
If the previous two sentences sound like Greek (er… Roman?) to you, you should read part 1 of the Roman Numeral Analysis series first:
The article you’re reading uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean: Chord Review
Mobile users: for best results reading the examples, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
“What exactly does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V mean?” Roman numerals help you analyze music, meaning they reveal patterns in the music that lets you understand how your favorite songs work.
A quick review: the chart above shows you the triads from the key of C major.
- You can see from the chart that each chord has only three notes.
- We call them triads for just this reason.
- The notes of the triad get labeled root, third, or fifth depending on the note’s position within the triad.
- If a triad has been capitalized, that indicates a major triad, while a lower-case Roman numeral means that you have a minor triad.
- You build each triad on a note of the major scale.
- So, a Roman numeral tells you what note of the scale a specific triad was built on.
- The decimal numbers tell you about the intervals within the chord.
In addition, the chord tones sit a third (or three notes) apart. For a simpler and more in-depth discussion of triads, click the link in the previous section.
Triads in C Major:
How Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Work?
“What exactly does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V mean?” Like in the previous section, the Roman numerals tell you whether you have a major or minor chord. Also, it specifies what note of the scale the chord has been built on.
In addition, the superscript decimal numbers in the analysis “I7-vi7-V7” gives you extra information:
- The superscript numbers tell you that you need to add the interval of a seventh to the triad.
- Compare the triad and seventh chord charts, you’ll see that the seventh chord chart adds an extra note on top of each triad.
- That means that seventh chords have four notes rather than just the three we find in triads.
- Also, this creates more complex sounding chords.
- You’ll find triads used a lot in music like rock, folk, and country music.
- Alternately, jazz, funk, and blues frequently use seventh chords.
Please note:
- IM7 and IVM7 indicates the major seventh chords.
- V7 specifies a dominant seventh chord.
- ii7, iii7, and vi7 will be your minor seventh chords.
But wait! There’s more!
- Jazz, funk, and blues use even more complex chords called extensions, such as 9th, 11th, and 13th chords.
- With these chords, you just keep adding more notes to the top of the chords.
- Each new note will be a third higher than the last.
- However, once you get to extended chords, you’ll need to start removing some of the initial chord tones or the chords become too dissonant.
Seventh Chords in C Major:
Final Thoughts on “What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean?”
Well, that explains how I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V works. Namely, that in music theory, a seventh chord is an extension of a triad. So, the Roman numeral analysis system reflects this as well.
What can you use Roman numeral analysis for?
- You can use it to analyze your favorite songs to help you understand how they work.
- Plus, you can use popular chord progressions when composing to help you write in a particular style.
Some examples of popular chord progressions:
- ii7-V7-IM7 gets used a lot in jazz music.
- The blues progression has these chords: I7-I7-I7-I7-IV7-IV7-I7-I7-V7-IV7-I7-V7
- I-vi-IV-V7 you’ll recognize as the classic rock ‘n roll sound.
Have fun composing!
Related posts:
- Can Someone Explain Roman Numeral Analysis in Layman’s Terms for Me? (Part 1)
- Tonic vs. Root in Music Theory: Are They the Same Thing? (Part 2)
- Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song?
- Changing Keys in Your Songwriting
- Writing Well Crafted Songs
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
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