Do As the Romans Do

After playing around with the melody in my head, I have developed harmonies that fit both the traditional style, as well as a few that coincide with the current time period.

The "shorthand" way of writing a chord is using roman numerals. There is a roman numeral assigned to each note of the diatonic scale. In C Major, the letters of the ascending scale go in order: CDEFGAB(C)

C is considered scale degree 1, D is scale degree 2 etc.

I know much of this is confusing, but stick with me, I'm doing my best.

When a triad is built diatonically (using only the notes in the scale) above each scale degree, it is determined to be major or minor, or sometimes diminished or augmented.

A triad is built using the original (the root) note, the note a third above it (the third), and the note a fifth above it (the fifth). The determinant of whether or not a chord's quality is major or minor is the third. If the third is a major third (4 half steps) away from the root, then the quality of the chord is major. However, if the third is a minor third (3 half steps) away from the root, the quality of the chord is minor.

Similarly, a chord is considered diminished or augmented based on not only the third, but the fifth as well. If the distance between the root and the third is a major third, and the distance between the third and the fifth is also a major third, then the chord is augmented. If the distance between the root and the third, and the third and the fifth are both minor thirds, then the chord is diminished.

I will flesh this out a bit more at my presentation. It is difficult to describe without a piano.

So each note of the scale has a different quality. If the roman numeral (1-7. One for each scale degree) is uppercase, then it is a major chord. If the roman numeral is lowercase, then it is a minor chord.

Every major key will have a scale that looks like this: I  ii  iii  IV  V  vi  vii° and back to I

The small circle next to the 7 indicates that that chord is diminished. The distance between the root and the third and the third and the fifth are both minor thirds (3 half steps).

Again, I will explain this more thoroughly at the presentation, so you should come.