SWARSHALA — ROMAN NUMERALS IN TWO SUPPLIED KEYS
Original worksheet and answer key · 2026-10-03
Guide: https://swarshala.com/blog/read-roman-numeral-chord-progressions

CONVENTION
Uppercase = major, lowercase = minor; degree follows the root, not bass.
A degree and chord quality alone do not prescribe inversion or voicing.
Minor examples use natural-minor diatonic labels i ii° III iv v VI VII.
Tonal-minor V/vii° conventionally use the raised leading tone.
Our chromatic-prefix examples are in major: flat/sharp before a numeral
lowers/raises the root relative to that supplied major scale. We do not
mix this with a parallel-major-reference system of minor-key numerals.

TASK A — ENCODE IN D MAJOR
Scale: D E F# G A B C#
Chord | Spelled notes | Root degree | Major/minor quality | Numeral
D     |               |             |                     |
Bm    |               |             |                     |
G     |               |             |                     |
A     |               |             |                     |

TASK B — RECOVER IN F MAJOR
Scale: F G A Bb C D E
Numeral | Root degree and note | Quality | Chord and notes
I       |                       |         |
vi      |                       |         |
IV      |                       |         |
V       |                       |         |

TASK C — TRANSFER
1. In G major, label G Em C D and spell every triad.
2. In Bb major, recover ii V I and spell every triad.
3. In D major, compare vi with VI. Does the root move?
4. In A minor, spell i iv v i, then change only v to V.
5. Does our bare IV root-and-quality label determine the lowest note?
6. In D major, spell flat-VI and explain what the flat changes.

ANSWER KEY
A. D = D F# A, degree 1 major, I.
Bm = B D F#, degree 6 minor, vi.
G = G B D, degree 4 major, IV.
A = A C# E, degree 5 major, V.
Pattern: I vi IV V.
B. I: 1 F major -> F A C.
vi: 6 D minor -> D F A.
IV: 4 Bb major -> Bb D F.
V: 5 C major -> C E G.
Chord names: F Dm Bb C.
C1. I vi IV V: G B D; E G B; C E G; D F# A.
C2. Cm F Bb: C Eb G; F A C; Bb D F. Bb major has Bb and Eb.
C3. vi = B D F#; VI = B D# F#. Root B remains degree 6.
C4. A C E; D F A; E G B; A C E. Change G to G# in the third
chord to obtain V = E G# B. The supplied key remains A minor.
C5. No. Read the actual bass or explicit inversion/bass information.
C6. Bb D F. The prefix lowers degree 6, B, to Bb. Uppercase VI
requires a major triad. It does not mean to flatten every chord member.

TEXT EQUIVALENT OF THE GUIDE'S ORIGINAL FIGURE
D-major chord names: D | Bm | G | A
Shared degree/quality labels: I | vi | IV | V
F-major chord names: F | Dm | Bb | C
Root degrees: 1 | 6 | 4 | 5
Qualities: major | minor | major | major

SOURCES
https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/roman-numerals/
https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/AnalyzingAndWritingBorrowedChords.html
All exercise progressions and worksheets are original. Keys are supplied;
no unique tonic, harmonic function or physical performance is inferred.