C Chord Progressions: Basic Triads

If you remember from previous entries, the C major scale consists of the C, D, E, F, G, A, and B notes. This scale will relate directly to the simple triads (that is, three-note chords made of the root, major/minor third, and diminished/perfect fifth notes) in the key of C major (please refer to this website or elsewhere for more information):

I. C major (made of the C, E, and G notes);
ii. D minor (D, F, and A notes);
iii. E minor (E, G, and B notes);
IV. F major (F, A, and C notes);
V. G major (G, B, and D notes);
vi. A minor (A, C, and E notes); and
vii(b5). B diminished (B, D, and F notes).

As we'll see later, the capitalization or lack of capitalization for the above Roman numerals provides an additional visual aid when substituting chords in different keys.