Chords are normally made up of three (or more) different notes. By placing these notes in a certain order it's possible to add variety and interest to the music you write and play. Here's how chord inversions work.
1. C Major Chord
M. McIntyre
If you play any chord with the tonic note as the lowest note (C for a C chord), we say the chord is in root position. That's because the root of the chord -- C in this case -- is at the bottom of the chord. You can see the C chord in root position in the nearby image.
By "inverting" the chord we can make it sound much different. If we place the note E on the bottom, then the chord is said to be in 1st inversion. And if we make G the lowest note, it's in 2nd inversion.
By "inverting" the chord we can make it sound much different. If we place the note E on the bottom, then the chord is said to be in 1st inversion. And if we make G the lowest note, it's in 2nd inversion.
2. F Major Chord
M. Mcintyre
It works exactly the same way with any 3-note chord or triad. For instance, here's the F major chord and its two inversions.
Notice that in root position the note F (the tonic) is the lowest note in the chord. For 1st inversion, the lowest note is A, and for 2nd, it's C.
Notice that in root position the note F (the tonic) is the lowest note in the chord. For 1st inversion, the lowest note is A, and for 2nd, it's C.
3. G Major Chord
M. McIntyre
Yep, you guessed it. Same thing for the G chord. With G on the bottom, the chord is in root position. Make B the lowest note and it's in 1st inversion. With D on the bottom the chord is in 2nd inversion. As stated above, it works the same way for any 3-note chord, whether that chord is major, minor, diminished or augmented. But what if there are more than three notes?
4. G7 Chord
M. McIntyre
When a chord has more than three notes, like a 7th chord, the same rules apply. Only this time there's an extra inversion in the equation.
Study the nearby graphic and you'll see that the G7 chord has a root position, a 1st inversion, a 2nd inversion, PLUS a 3rd inversion. That's because now there are 4 different notes that can be placed as the lowest note. The more notes available, the greater the possibilities.
Study the nearby graphic and you'll see that the G7 chord has a root position, a 1st inversion, a 2nd inversion, PLUS a 3rd inversion. That's because now there are 4 different notes that can be placed as the lowest note. The more notes available, the greater the possibilities.
