What Are Inversions?
In a previous article I explained, how major and minor triads are constructed. In this article I will go deeper into that and explain how inversions of triads are constructed and how you are using them already in your guitar playing.
We found out, that chords basically consist of a root note, the 3rd and the 5th of this root note. A major 3rd for major chords and a minor 3rd for minor chords.
And I pointed out, that no matter how you arrange any notes of any triad, it will still be that specific triad.
For example: The C major chord. It consists of the notes C, E and G. But you do not need to stack them on top of each other in that particular order, with C in the bass, then E and then G on top of each other.
You can also play another arrangement like E, G an C. So, E in the bass and G and then C on top of that. This would be the 1st inversion.
If you have the 5th in the bass: G C E, it would be the 2nd inversion.
But that is simply definition and probably not very interesting for you. That is why I will show you now, how you are already, unconsciously, applying inversions.
Let us play a C major chord in root position, and exactly in this order:
C E G. You can do that by playing the C on the 5th fret on the G string, the E on the 5th fret of the B string and the G on the 3rd fret on the high e-String.
Play them consecutively from bottom to top and remember how it sounds.
Now, proceed to the 1st inversion, which can be played on the 9th fret on the G string which is an E, 8th fret on the B string, which is a G and the 8th fret on the high e-String, which is a C. So, now you are playing E G C.
Play the notes consecutively and try to memorize the sound of this.
The 2nd inversion can be found while playing two open strings: The G and the high e-String, with the last missing note for a complete triad on the 1st fret of the B string. You are playing G C E.
Now play all those three shapes and notice how different they can sound, even though they are basically the same chord!
But this is not even the way, that you are using them without being aware of that.
Look at this chord diagram:
We found out, that chords basically consist of a root note, the 3rd and the 5th of this root note. A major 3rd for major chords and a minor 3rd for minor chords.
And I pointed out, that no matter how you arrange any notes of any triad, it will still be that specific triad.
For example: The C major chord. It consists of the notes C, E and G. But you do not need to stack them on top of each other in that particular order, with C in the bass, then E and then G on top of each other.
You can also play another arrangement like E, G an C. So, E in the bass and G and then C on top of that. This would be the 1st inversion.
If you have the 5th in the bass: G C E, it would be the 2nd inversion.
But that is simply definition and probably not very interesting for you. That is why I will show you now, how you are already, unconsciously, applying inversions.
Let us play a C major chord in root position, and exactly in this order:
C E G. You can do that by playing the C on the 5th fret on the G string, the E on the 5th fret of the B string and the G on the 3rd fret on the high e-String.
Play them consecutively from bottom to top and remember how it sounds.
Now, proceed to the 1st inversion, which can be played on the 9th fret on the G string which is an E, 8th fret on the B string, which is a G and the 8th fret on the high e-String, which is a C. So, now you are playing E G C.
Play the notes consecutively and try to memorize the sound of this.
The 2nd inversion can be found while playing two open strings: The G and the high e-String, with the last missing note for a complete triad on the 1st fret of the B string. You are playing G C E.
Now play all those three shapes and notice how different they can sound, even though they are basically the same chord!
But this is not even the way, that you are using them without being aware of that.
Look at this chord diagram:
Let us move this to the 8th fret. The bass note here is a C. The note on the A string, 10th fret is a G. The note on the D string, 10th fret is a C.
Up to this point, we only played C and G notes, so basically a genderless power chord. But now it is becoming interesting.
The next note on the G string in the 9th fret is an E Note, which is the 3rd in the C major triad. So, with the two previous notes, we get: G, C and E. And that is…?
Correct! The 2nd inversion of C major.
This was one group of 3 notes, that we can excerpt from this chord shape. Let us look at the next group of 3 notes, which are on the D-, G- and B-string.
Here we have the notes C in the 10th fret of the D-string, E in the 9th fret of the G-string and G in the 8th fret of the B-string, which yields C E and G in this order, so we get the root position of the C major chord.
With the next group of 3 notes, we have the E in the 9th fret of the G-string, the G in the 8th fret of the B-string and the C in the 8th fret of the E string.
That gives us the notes E G C and that is the 1st inversion of the C major chord.
Here is another little exercise for you.
Get clear on what notes are in the A minor triad. Find all 3 shapes for A minor on the G-, B- and high e-String, so all inversions of A minor and listen to the characteristic sound of each inversion.
Next, this is the Minor shape for barre chords:
Up to this point, we only played C and G notes, so basically a genderless power chord. But now it is becoming interesting.
The next note on the G string in the 9th fret is an E Note, which is the 3rd in the C major triad. So, with the two previous notes, we get: G, C and E. And that is…?
Correct! The 2nd inversion of C major.
This was one group of 3 notes, that we can excerpt from this chord shape. Let us look at the next group of 3 notes, which are on the D-, G- and B-string.
Here we have the notes C in the 10th fret of the D-string, E in the 9th fret of the G-string and G in the 8th fret of the B-string, which yields C E and G in this order, so we get the root position of the C major chord.
With the next group of 3 notes, we have the E in the 9th fret of the G-string, the G in the 8th fret of the B-string and the C in the 8th fret of the E string.
That gives us the notes E G C and that is the 1st inversion of the C major chord.
Here is another little exercise for you.
Get clear on what notes are in the A minor triad. Find all 3 shapes for A minor on the G-, B- and high e-String, so all inversions of A minor and listen to the characteristic sound of each inversion.
Next, this is the Minor shape for barre chords:
Now find and play the different inversions that this shape contains like we did above with the C major chord.
THEN: do the same for a few other chords in the key and after that change to other keys to get a full understanding of how chords are constructed.
About the author:
Michael Korte is teaching guitar in Finland. In his guitar school, he teaches his students new approaches and concepts for their rhythm and solo playing and also shows them how to improve their practicing, so that they get better results faster. If you want to reach the next level in your playing and you are looking for a guitar teacher in Tampere make sure to get in touch with him.
THEN: do the same for a few other chords in the key and after that change to other keys to get a full understanding of how chords are constructed.
About the author:
Michael Korte is teaching guitar in Finland. In his guitar school, he teaches his students new approaches and concepts for their rhythm and solo playing and also shows them how to improve their practicing, so that they get better results faster. If you want to reach the next level in your playing and you are looking for a guitar teacher in Tampere make sure to get in touch with him.