8/3/2019 10 Chord In Versions

1/3

Inversion of Chords

All of the chords in the previous section were in root position, which means that they all have the

root of the chord as the lowest note. This is the simplest, most stable form for a chord. However,

if another note of the chord is in the bass, or lowest voice, we say the chord is inverted. When the

third of the chord is the lowest pitch, the chord is in first inversion. When the fifth of the chord is

in the bass, it is insecond inversion. Seventh chords, which have another note left, are in thirdinversion when the seventh is the lowest pitch.

In the baroque period, musicians used a chord notation called figured bass. Just as jazz and rock

musicians use Pop/Jazz Chord symbols today, Baroque musicians used figured bass to tell them

what chords to use when improvising and accompanying. These added, improvised chords are

called a realization.These figured bass symbols are the basis for the inversion symbols we use

with roman numerals in order to represent chords.

Figured bass indicates the bass note and the intervals above that note. A root position triad has a

third (3) and a fifth (5) above the bass note, so its figured bass symbol is: a 5 above a 3. The

following chart lists all of the full, figured bass and inversion symbols for all inversions.

Since root position chords are so common, and musicians have a tendency to be lazy, the

numbers "3" and "5" were eventually assumed to be there, and omitted. In seventh chords, onlytwo numbers are required to show what position the chord is in, so the 6 is omitted. This is why

our modern inversion symbols are slightly different than the full, figured bass. These inversion

symbols, when combined with a roman numeral and a key: give all the information needed to

figure out what the notes of the chord are and what the bass (lowest) note is.

Memorize this chart:

Introduction to Music Theory: Inversions of Chords

8/3/2019 10 Chord In Versions

2/3

The arrangement of the notes above the bass note is the only thing not specified by the inversion

symbols and figured bass. It makes no difference at all how the pitchs are arranged in this style,

as long as all the correct pitch classes are present.

A realized figured bass may look like this (only the black notes are printed, the performer reads

these and performs, for example, the blue notes).:

When an accidental needs to be added to a note, the accidental is added before the number that

indicates that pitch's interval above the bass. For example, the first B-natural in the following

example is a sixth (plus an octave -- figured bass does not include octaves) above the bass, so the

6 has a natural before it. The A-natural in measure 2 is on the fifth of the chord. When the fifth

(normally omitted) has an accidental, it must not be omitted but written with the added

accidental. Notice that the B-natural in the bass on beat two of the second measure does not need

any figure -- since the natural is already present, bass notes with accidentals have no additional

figures. The third above the bass, however, is a commonly altered interval, so lazy musicianshave often used only an accidental with no number to specify an altered third. Finally, since in

minor keys raised note accidentals are frequent and common, musicians have used the faster

"slash" notation to specify a raised note. A slash through a number indicates that you should raise

that note one half-step (by adding whatever accidental, sharp, flat, double sharp, double flat, or

natural), while an accidental before a number means to add that specific accidental to the pitch.

Introduction to Music Theory: Inversions of Chords

8/3/2019 10 Chord In Versions

3/3

Figured bass, combined with Roman Numeral analysis, provides a complete method of

specifying a harmony so that one may discuss how it functions. Labeling the chords is the first

step, and is shown in an example below. After labeling these chords, then the harmonic function

may be examined, which is the topic of a following section.

Chords are not always so easy to see and identify. Chorales offer the simplest way of seeing and

hearing these harmonies, and so are most often used in theory examples. However, composers

present these chords in a variety of different manners in musical practice. This is the topic of the

next section.

Introduction to Music Theory: Inversions of Chords