Chord inversions
What happens when the lowest note of a chord isn't the root, and how to use slash chords to build bass lines.
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Content under musical review. It may contain inaccuracies.
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What happens when the lowest note of a chord isn't the root, and how to use slash chords to build bass lines.
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A chord is inverted when its lowest note isn't the root. The notes are the same, but the bass changes, and with it the chord's stability and colour. Modern chord symbols show inversions with a slash: C/E means "C major with E in the bass".
C in its three positions. Focus on the lowest note:
Root position sounds solid; first inversion, lighter; second inversion, as if it were waiting for something.
| Position | Bass | Symbol on C | For a seventh chord |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | 1 | C | G7 |
| First inversion | 3 | C/E | G7/B |
| Second inversion | 5 | C/G | G7/D |
| Third inversion | 7 | not possible in a triad | G7/F |
On guitar, an inversion depends only on the note on the lowest sounding string; the order of the notes above it can vary.
Open the chord explorer, choose C and change the bass note:
C major in first inversionThen play this progression and listen to the bass stepping down:
Descending bass in C majorA slash chord isn't always an inversion: in F/G the bass isn't part of the chord, and the result is a suspended sound over G.
For inversions of open chords, just move the bass finger: for C/G, add fret 3 on the sixth string to the usual C shape. For G/B, play B on the fifth string, fret 2, and mute the sixth string.
Rhythm & accompanimentChord changesChange chords on time, without pauses, inside the pulse.Classical harmony labels inversions with figured-bass numbers: 6 for first inversion (I6) and 6/4 for second (I6/4); for seventh chords, 6/5, 4/3 and 4/2. Kostka and Payne, and Aldwell and Schachter, sort 6/4 chords by use: passing, pedal (or neighbour) and cadential.
The cadential 6/4 (C/G before G7 in C major) is often analysed not as a tonic but as a dominant with two appoggiaturas: C and E resolve to B and D over the same bass G.