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#43444 11/22/09 12:55 PM
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I'm taking a class in music theory at my local community college and I've learned a lot in just one semester.

BIAB confuses me about what I've learned at school, tho. when using the minor keys why does it still report the roman numeral chord symbols as if you were in the major key?

for example, Dm is the relative minor of F major. If I use Dm as the key for the song and I input Dm as a chord, then click on the "II" to change to roman numeral notation, it lists the Dm chord as a VIm instead of Im. why is that? in school I'm being taught that in the minor key that would be the Im (or "i" instead of "vi").

VIm would actually be the chord symbol if the key were F major. I would think that was the reason for putting the relative minor keys available for the BIAB project - so that the roman numerals would match correctly for the minor keys.

so, secondary question: if that's not the case, then what is the purpose of the minor keys as the key signature in BIAB if not to make the minor key primary in the roman number symbols?

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You're right and its a good question that's been asked before.

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thanks mac, I'm sure I wasn't the first one to have this "epiphany"!!! :-)

it just seems wrong to me to be able to select the minor key but still work in the major key. I think I'd RATHER it not even have the minor relatives available to select! at least that way I'd know exactly what roman numerals to use when working with the project!

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Quote:

You're right and its a good question that's been asked before.




Agreed. It doesn't make sense


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Hi,

You can change this in Options-Preferences-Display... uncheck "For Roman numerals of chords in minor keys use relative major".


Andrew
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Wow, they are way ahead of you, AGAIN. LOL.


John Conley
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Not that I use that feature, but so often someone says,...hm.doesn't work, and boom, it was already thought of....I know, I'm in the Mood for Danglin' participles. People hang on my every word, even the prepositions. LOL. NOT.


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Cool.

Thanks for the info.

Wish it defaulted to the other way 'round, though.


--Mac

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Quote:

Hi,

You can change this in Options-Preferences-Display... uncheck "For Roman numerals of chords in minor keys use relative major".



Fantastic!! thanks so much! I agree with mac, tho, I wish it had been the default the other way around. it seems "wrong" this way.

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Almost ten years later and thank you again, Andrew!

Is it not possible to default to NOT use the relative major? Or else, you could put the option to change it elsewhere, perhaps where you select the Key, since I spent hours there trying to make it show the numerals correctly....and it didn't obviously.

Anyway, thank you for posting the answer.

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