CHARLES LEINBERGER, PH.D.
Chord Functions for Musical Analysis
Use this table to determine the function of a chord once you know the type of chord, its root and on what scale degree the root is found.
Scale Degree M m + d M7 (MM7) 7 (Mm7) Fr7 (Fr6) m7 (mm7) +M7 +m7 ø7 (dm7) °7 (dd7)
1 I i     I7 V7/IV   i7        
#1       vii°/ii               vii°7/ii
b2 N       N7 Gr6/I, It6/I            
2 V/V ii   ii°   V7/V Fr7 (Fr6) ii7     iiø7  
#2       vii°/iii               vii°7/iii
b3 III, bIII   III+, bIII+   III7, bIII7 V7/VI     III7+5, bIII7+5      
3 V/vi iii   vii°/IV   V7/vi   iii7     viiø7/IV vii°7/IV
4 IV iv     IV7 IV7   iv7     Till Eulenspiegel  
#4       vii°/V             viiø7/V vii°7/V
5 V v V+ vii°/VI   V7 Fr7/I (Fr6/I) v7   V7+5 viiø7/VI vii°7/VI
#5       vii°/vi               vii°7/vi
b6 VI, bVI       VI7, bVI7 Gr6, It6, V7/N         Tristan  
6 V/ii vi   vi°   V7/ii   vi7     viø7 vii°7/VII
b7 VII, bVII, V/III         VII7, bVII7, V7/III            
7 Fate     vii°   V7/iii         viiø7 vii°7
Blue cells indicate diatonic functions in major keys only.
Yellow cells indicate diatonic functions in minor keys only (natural, harmonic or melodic). Flats appear in major keys only. These chords are diatonic in minor keys, but are chromatic in major keys.
Green cells indicate diatonic functions in either major or minor keys (blue + yellow = green).
Therefore, major keys include diatonic functions in Blue and Green. Minor keys include diatonic functions in Yellow and Green.
Purple cells indicate chromatic functions in major keys only. All chromatic functions are dependent upon the chord resolving logically.
Orange cells indicate chromatic functions in minor keys only. All chromatic functions are dependent upon the chord resolving logically.
Gray cells indicate chromatic functions in either major or minor keys. All chromatic functions are dependent upon the chord resolving logically.
Therefore, major keys include chromatic functions in Purple and Gray. Minor keys include chromatic functions in Orange and Gray.
Empty cells indicate that there are no logical functions for particular chord types on a those scale degrees.
Flats appear as lower-case letter "B"s. (There is no HTML code for a flat sign.)
Abbreviations used on this table:
M = Major triad
m = minor triad
+ = Augmented triad
d = diminished Triad
MM7 = Major-Major seventh chord
Mm7 = Major-minor seventh chord
Fr7 = Major-minor seventh chord with diminished fifth (French seventh),
- Usually in second inversion (French sixth or Fr6)
mm7 = minor-minor seventh chord
+M7 = Augmented-Major seventh chord
+m7 = Augmented-minor seventh chord
dm7 = diminished-minor seventh chord (half-diminished or ø7)
dd7 = diminished-diminished seventh chord (fully-diminished or °7)
Charles Leinberger's Music Theory Home Page
UTEP Department of Music
CHARLESL@UTEP.EDU
This page was updated 20 August 2007.		 UTEP