Chords & Chord Progressions: Chord Inversion

Lesson Goal: To understand the concept of Chord Inversion… and to start applying this understanding when you read, compose, and improvise…

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Prerequisites

Basic music reading skills… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.

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Chord Inversion Defined

There is no rule requiring that the root of the chord be the lowest note played. In fact, you can create a wonderful variety of melodic and harmonic effects by using other chord tones as the lowest note. Using a chord tone other that the root of the chord is known as Inversion.

Let’s see how inversion works to create harmonic tension and forward motion applied to a C Major Triad…

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Chord Inversion and Chord Voicing

Chord Voicing and Chord Inversion are not the same thing!

Chord Inversion Applied to Three-Note Chords

For example, a C Major Triad…

Root Position C Chord

Here i one way to play a C Major Triad… with its root C as the lowest note. (Root Position means “the 1” of the chord is the lowest note.)

Notice how stable this arrangement of notes sounds and feels.

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First Inversion C Chord

The C chord can also be played with the note E in the bass. This is called the First Inversion. (First Inversion means “the 3” of the chord is the lowest note.)

You might recognize this sounds from Eric Clapton’s “Layla”.  In this case, the inversion is used to create harmonic instability and melodic interest in the bass line that naturally moves from the I to IV chord.

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Second Inversion C Chord

A C chord can also be played with G in the bass. This is called the Second Inversion. (Second inversion means “the 5” of the chord is the lowest note.)

This as a very common way to prepare to end a piece, where C/G functions as a double suspended V chord that accentuates the dominant harmony before resolving to the tonic I.

Notice how unstable the C/G chord sounds and feels… like it needs to go somewhere.

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Chord Inversion Applied to Four-Note Chords

For example, an E Dominant 7th Chord…

[Any interest in seeing this applied to a meaningful context?]

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Chord Inversion & Bass Melody

An musical way to expand the melodic and harmonic possibilities of a chord progression is to invert some of the chords along the way…

Doing so does at least two things: (1) It adds harmonic interest and (2) It creates smooth melodic movement in the bass line.

Let’s understand how the process works and enjoy its pleasing effect by using a familiar chord progression as an example.

First, without Chord Inversion

Here’s a I-V-IV-I-IV-I-II-V chord progression in the key of C Major, played without chord inversion (all chords in root position)…

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Second, with Chord Inversion

Here’s the same chord progressions with some of the chords inverted… in order to create a linear bass line that descends smoothly and melodically through the changes…

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