HearmonyChord Inversions: How They Work and How They Sound
A chord inversion is a chord with a note other than its root as the lowest note. C major in root position is C–E–G; in first inversion E is in the bass (E–G–C); in second inversion G is in the bass (G–C–E). The chord's notes and name stay the same. Only the bass note changes, and that changes how stable the chord sounds.
What is a chord inversion?
An inversion is defined by one thing: which chord tone is the lowest note. If the root is on the bottom, the chord is in root position, no matter how the upper notes are arranged. C–G–E–C with C in the bass is still root position.
To invert a chord, move its lowest note up an octave. C–E–G becomes E–G–C, and doing it again gives G–C–E. A triad has three notes, so it has root position plus two inversions. A seventh chord has four notes, so it has a third inversion as well.
Inversions don't change a chord's quality. E–G–C still sounds major, because it contains the same C, E and G. If triads themselves are new to you, start with what a triad is.
Root position, first and second inversion
For a triad, root position has the root in the bass, first inversion has the third in the bass, and second inversion has the fifth in the bass. Here are common triads in all three positions, with the slash-chord name you'll see on lead sheets.
| Chord | Root position | 1st inversion (3rd in bass) | 2nd inversion (5th in bass) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C E G (C) | E G C (C/E) | G C E (C/G) |
| F major | F A C (F) | A C F (F/A) | C F A (F/C) |
| G major | G B D (G) | B D G (G/B) | D G B (G/D) |
| A minor | A C E (Am) | C E A (Am/C) | E A C (Am/E) |
| D minor | D F A (Dm) | F A D (Dm/F) | A D F (Dm/A) |
| B diminished | B D F (Bdim) | D F B (Bdim/D) | F B D (Bdim/F) |
To find the root of any inverted triad, rearrange its notes into stacked thirds (every other letter). G–C–E reorders to C–E–G, so the root is C and the chord is C major in second inversion.
Seventh chord inversions
Seventh chords have four positions, and third inversion puts the seventh in the bass. Using G7 (G B D F), the chord that pulls most strongly to C:
| Position | G7 | Cmaj7 | Slash name (G7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | G B D F | C E G B | G7 |
| 1st inversion | B D F G | E G B C | G7/B |
| 2nd inversion | D F G B | G B C E | G7/D |
| 3rd inversion | F G B D | B C E G | G7/F |
Third inversion has a strong habit: the seventh in the bass wants to fall by a half or whole step. G7/F usually moves to C/E, with the bass sliding from F down to E.
Slash chords and figured bass: how inversions are written
Pop, rock and jazz charts write inversions as slash chords: the chord, a slash, then the bass note. C/E means a C major chord with E in the bass. Classical theory uses figured bass, numbers that describe the intervals above the bass note.
| Position | Triad figures | Seventh chord figures | Roman numeral example in C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | 5/3 (usually left blank) | 7 | I, V7 |
| 1st inversion | 6 (short for 6/3) | 6/5 | I6 = C/E, V6/5 = G7/B |
| 2nd inversion | 6/4 | 4/3 | I6/4 = C/G, V4/3 = G7/D |
| 3rd inversion | — | 4/2 (or 2) | V4/2 = G7/F |
Not every slash chord is an inversion. D/C puts a C under a D major chord (D F♯ A), and C isn't one of its notes, so it's a chord over a separate bass note. Wikipedia's article on inversion in music covers the figured-bass details further.
What does each inversion sound like?
Each inversion has its own weight, and the bass note is what you're hearing. Root position sounds the most solid and final, which is why pieces almost always end on a root-position tonic chord.
- First inversion sounds lighter and less final. It's the workhorse for smooth bass lines: C – G/B – Am lets the bass walk down C, B, A instead of jumping.
- Second inversion sounds the least stable, because the bass sits a fourth below the root. In classical music it mostly appears in set roles, the best known being the cadential 6/4: C/G before G7 and C at the end of a phrase, where C/G works as a decoration of the G chord.
- Third inversion of a seventh chord sounds restless and pulls the bass down a step, as in G7/F to C/E.
Inversions also keep hands still. Compare C – F – G7 – C in root position, where everything jumps, with this keyboard pattern:
| Chord | C | F/C | G7/B (no D) | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes, bottom to top | C E G | C F A | B F G | C E G |
Every note either stays put or moves by one step. That's voice leading, and it's the reason inversions exist. On guitar you'll meet the same idea as C/G (open C with G on the low E string, 3rd fret), G/B and D/F♯ (F♯ on the low E string, 2nd fret).
How do you hear chord inversions by ear?
Hear the bass first, then the chord. These steps work at the piano or with recordings:
- Name the quality. Major, minor, diminished or augmented doesn't change with inversion. If you can't yet tell those apart, start with identifying chords by ear.
- Hum the lowest note. Sing or hum only the bass, and hold it.
- Find the root above it. If the bass already sounds like home for the chord, it's root position. If the root sits a sixth above the bass, it's first inversion. If it sits a fourth above, it's second inversion, and the chord sounds hollow and waiting.
- Compare side by side. Play C, C/E and C/G one after another, then guess a random one. Repeat on F and G.
Common mistakes
- Judging by the top note. The top note decides the melody, not the inversion. Only the bass counts.
- Calling C/E an E chord. The bass is E, but the chord is still C major. Spell it out (E G C) and stack it in thirds to check.
- Missing identical note sets. Am7 in first inversion (C E G A) has the same notes as C6, and Csus2 (C D G) has the same notes as Gsus4 (G C D). The bass and the surrounding chords decide which name fits.
Self-test: name the chord and its inversion
- B D G
- A D F
- C F A
- E G C
- F G B D
- C E A
Answers: 1. G major, first inversion (G/B). 2. D minor, second inversion (Dm/A). 3. F major, second inversion (F/C). 4. C major, first inversion (C/E). 5. G7, third inversion (G7/F). 6. A minor, first inversion (Am/C).
Practice inversions in Hearmony
Hearmony, the iPhone ear-training app the Hearmony team builds, teaches inversions in Seventh Heaven, after Chord Garden has covered the basic chord colors. The Inversions unit ("Same chord, different bottom note") opens with C major in root position, first and second inversion, and one rule: move the lowest note up an octave and the chord keeps its color. The questions then play major, minor, diminished and augmented chords in any of those three positions and ask which kind of chord you heard, so you learn to hold on to the color while the bass moves.
Every answer names the chord and its notes, plus the inversion when it is one. The unit asks for the chord's quality rather than the inversion's name, so the bass-first steps above are the practice for naming the position. The final Seventh Heaven mix covers all nine chord types and brings inversions back in its later lessons. Get Hearmony on the App Store, and see ear training for beginners for where chord work fits.