Guitar Chord Inversions (2024)

FAQs

Are chord inversions necessary? ›

Musically, chord inversions add interest to a song because they slightly change the sound of a chord without creating dissonance. Our ears are naturally drawn to the top note of chords, so while these chords can sound like a “different note,” they'll still sound good accompanying whatever melody you're playing.

In an inverted chord, the root is not the lowest note. The inversions are numbered in the order their lowest notes appear in a close root-position chord (from bottom to top).

How are chord inversions written? In the Roman numeral system of writing chords a lower case letter is written after the chord to show if it is in an inversion. The letter “b” is used for 1st inversion and the letter “c” is used for 2nd inversion. In popular music you will often see chord symbols like G/B.

The easiest way to remember your inversions is to know the notes that comprise each chord. It might seem like you have to memorize each inversion, but you don't really have to. Take Cmaj for example - C E G. As long as you know those notes, then you have the basis to form the inversions for that chord.

'Inversion' means reversing (inverting) the normal subject–verb word order in a sentence. We can use inversion to add emphasis, especially in formal English. It is common, for example, in political speeches, because it has a persuasive and impressive effect.

The basic idea here is to allow you to play more of your song in one “area” of the keyboard without having to move a “long way” up or down the keyboard to get to the next chord. If you choose your inversions carefully, you may be able to play the same song with far less movement!

Technically, you can combine any bass note with any chord, but the most common slash chords are based on chord inversions. A chord inversion is when the order of notes in a chord is not in numerical order.

When in doubt, this is almost always the most stable tone of a major triad to double. The second best choice to double is the fifth, while you generally want to avoid doubling the third in a major triad. This is especially true in the first inversion.

A chord in "first inversion," with its 3rd in the bass position, would have a 6/3: for example, if the bass is C, a 6th above that is A, and a third above is E, producing an A minor chord in first inversion. "6/3" was usually abbreviated to "6," so "6" still refers to a first inversion chord.

A more reliable approach is to start listening out for which note is at the top (or the bottom) of the chord. For example, if you can hear that the root of the chord is on top, you know it is the first inversion of the chord. If it is the third of the chord on top, it is the second inversion, and so on.

How to identify 7th chord inversions? ›

A first inversion seventh chord has a third, fifth, and a sixth above the bass, while a second inversion seventh chord has a third, a fourth, and a sixth above the bass. Finally, a third inversion seventh chord has a second, a fourth, and a sixth above the bass.

The benefits of yoga inversion include increased blood and lymphatic circulation, as well as improved flexibility, strength, energy levels, and self-confidence.

Get upside-down! Heating inversions such as Handstand, Headstand and Forearm Balance get more blood moving to the brain, which results not only in physical invigoration but mental revitalization as well.

Another common technique is to use an inversion to keep some notes consistent while moving one note by a half step or two. For example, going from a C major root position chord (C, E, G) to an E minor second inversion (B, E, G) means only moving the bass note down a half step, from C to B.