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New Released in April 2026
Writing Inversions With Roman Numerals, Step by Step
A Roman numeral label has three parts: the numeral tells the scale degree, its case and small signs tell the quality, and the figure after it tells the inversion. Put them together and V6/5 says everything: the chord on degree 5, major with a 7th, 3rd in the bass.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
The three parts of a label
- Numeral: the scale degree of the root (I to VII).
- Quality: upper case for major (V), lower case for minor (ii), ° for diminished (vii°), + for augmented (III+), ø for half diminished (viiø7).
- Figure: nothing or 7 for root position, then 6 or 6/5, 6/4 or 4/3, and 4/2 for the inversions.
Analyse four chords in C major
- C E G with C in the bass: I.
- F A D with F in the bass: D minor with its 3rd in the bass, so ii6.
- D F G B with D in the bass: G7 with its 5th in the bass, so V4/3.
- E G C with E in the bass: C with its 3rd in the bass, so I6.
Writing Inversions With Roman Numerals, Step by Step
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps.
Play the demoA method that always works
First find the root: stack the notes in 3rds until they line up, and the bottom of the stack is the root. Then name the degree in the key, choose the case, and only at the end look at the real bass note to pick the figure. Doing it in this order stops the most common mistake, naming the chord after its bass.
9th chords and other extras
Extended chords are usually labelled by their root and quality, like V9, and their inversions are rare in classical analysis. For daily playing the triads and seventh chords cover almost everything. ChordRunner trains exactly those shapes in all 12 keys, accepts any inversion, and lets you loop a progression you type, so ii6 V4/3 I6 can become a reflex, not a calculation.
The levels in ChordRunner
- Beginner: major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.
- Intermediate: adds sus2 and sus4.
- Advanced: adds 6th, 7th and 9th chords.
- Pro: adds 11th, 13th and altered chords; an adaptive mode adds the next family when you are ready.
Common questions
How do you write inversions in Roman numerals?
Write the numeral for the root’s degree in the right case, then the inversion figure: 6 or 6/4 for triads, 6/5, 4/3 or 4/2 for seventh chords. I6 is the tonic in first inversion.
What does V6/5 mean?
The dominant seventh chord in first inversion: its 3rd, the leading tone, is in the bass. In C major V6/5 is B D F G.
How do I write an augmented chord in Roman numerals?
Use an upper case numeral and a plus sign, like III+. In a minor key with the raised 7th, III+ is the augmented chord on the third degree.
Which instruments work?
A USB MIDI keyboard, detected automatically, or a piano or guitar through the microphone. Everything runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, tablet or phone.
How is this different from apps where you tap the screen?
Tapping trains your eyes and fingers on glass. Here you press real keys or fret real strings, and the game hears the actual notes, so what you practise is exactly what you will play on your instrument.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
Try the demoKeep learning
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