What are chord inversions and how to identify them by ear?

Chord inversions are a fantastic way to expand our musical choices and breathe new life into commonly used chord progressions. Whether you’re trying to compose something of your own or want to give a unique twist to a song cover, understanding and utilizing chord inversions correctly is going to be extremely beneficial.

It can seem a little intimidating at first, but once the basic rules of inversions have been explained you’ll come to realize it’s not that complex. The real challenge is knowing how to hear chord inversions, which means learning to identify them by ear, and if you tend to rely on interval-based ear training for this - you may have a tough time… but don’t worry! Today we’re going to make life much easier and help you get on the right path!

What is a chord inversion in music?

Let’s first get a clear definition of what we’re learning today - so what are chord inversions exactly? The most fundamental type of chord is a triad, which is three notes stacked in 3rds.

The major triad consists of a root note, a major 3rd, and a perfect 5th.

Minor triads consist of a root note, a minor 3rd, and a perfect 5th (as shown in the diagram below).

When we initially learn how to construct a chord its notes are usually in ascending numerical order [R 3 5] to build a major chord. Inversions basically reorder these notes, meaning the [R] is not always the lowest note in the chord - it could be the highest [5 3 R]. Even though the order of notes is changed, the chord name remains the same.

Types of chord inversions

A commonly asked question…

Q: How many inversions does a chord have?

A: It depends on the chord.

We have three possible inversions when building our basic three-note chords (aka triads): the root position, the first inversion, and the second inversion. Each one has a unique harmonic quality while still remaining essentially the same chord, like different shade of the same color.

Finally, we have the third inversion, which applies to 4-note chords - such as seventh chords.

Note: there are fourth and fifth inversions for extended chords, but we won't be discussing them in this post. They are quite uncommon due to the rather ambiguous terminology.

Root position

As previously mentioned, with this inversion the root [R] of the chord is the lowest note.

For example, in a C major chord [C E G], [C] is the root and is also the bass note.

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First inversion of a chord

With this inversion, the root is no longer the lowest note. In the first inversion, the 3rd [3] of the chord is the bass note. So our C major chord becomes [E G C].

Second inversion of a chord

In this inversion, the 5th [5] is the lowest note. Now with [G] as the bass note, the C major chord becomes [G C E].

Third inversion of a chord

When adding a fourth note to a chord (commonly the 7th [7]), it gives us an additional inversion to consider (because we now have an additional note in the chord, which in this case is [B]).

Below is each inversion of the C major 7th chord.

Notice the uniform diagonal pattern - with each consecutive inversion, all the notes shift back one position in the sequence, with the lowest note then becoming the highest.

• [C E G B] or [R 3 5 7] - Root position
• [E G B C] or [3 5 7 R] - First inversion
• [G B C E] or [5 7 R 3] - Second inversion
• [B C E G] or [7 R 3 5] - Third inversion

Closed Position Vs Open Position

So far we have only taken into account inversions in closed position.

Closed position is when every available note within the chord is played within one octave (such as in all previous diagrams).

Open position is when the chord spans multiple octaves. All the rules for inversions explained so far still apply - so the bass note still gives the name to the position, if the 3rd is in the bass that’s a first inversion, if the Root is in the bass its root position, etc. (see examples below).

When are chord inversions used in music?

There are a variety of different reasons we use chord inversions when making music, here’s a short list of some common uses:

1. Harmonic variety: By using different inversions, a musical progression can have a totally different feel, the same chords played in different inversion positions give a slightly different sensation, opening up the opportunity to make more colorful and interesting music.
2. Smoother transitions: By rearranging notes within the chord, inversions can allow more natural or fluid transitions between one chord and the next, creating smoother-sounding progressions.
3. Ergonomic preference: Somewhat related to the previous point, some inversions are more common on certain instruments due to the shapes being easier to play and transition between - the guitar is a good example of this.
4. Accentuate the bass: Having the root of each chord in the bass creates a strong musical foundation but we can also use inversions to create different bass lines, this can have a huge impact on the overall feel and originality of a song.
5. Add tension or resolution: We can increase tension with dissonant inversions of chords, or generate a sense of resolution by landing on more harmonious inversions (generally root positions chords tend to sound more “harmonious” to us).

How to use chord inversions?

How can we harness the power of inversions to improve our own music?

We’ve just gone through a number of scenarios where inversions can be very useful, so it’s now just a matter of figuring out how you can apply them to your own musical situations. If you’re writing a song and have a chord progression that you like but it feels a bit stale or overused, try inversions to give it a unique flavor.

Perhaps you’ve been struggling to play a song on your guitar because the chord shapes are tough - see if there’s an easier way by using inversions! Sometimes we can find simple solutions to seemingly complex issues just through arrangement, and chord inversions are a great place to start.

How can I learn to identify chord inversions?

With the information already laid out in this post you should be well on your way to understanding how to identify inversions. Of course, identifying them by ear (without the help of any musical instruments) is a totally different beast. Read on to know more on how to develop this skill.

Why are chord inversions hard for me?

I guess, you mean that you have difficulties recognizing chord inversions by ear alone, right? That’s very common. Indeed, this happens because people start to work on that without having more fundamental skills in place. For example, before recognizing chord inversions by ear it’s essential that you are able to confidently and quickly accomplish tasks like:

• Identifying chords in root positions by ear (without using any musical instruments).
• Singing the bass note of any given chord progression.
• Singing the major and minor scale in ascending and descending order. This can seem an unrelated task, but it’s a very essential skill though - the building block of anyone’s musicality.

How to identify chord inversions by ear

Unless you’re already confident identifying chords in root position by ear, then inversions are going to be far too tricky - don’t set yourself up for failure, start with the fundamentals and work up from there.

If the bulk of your ear training is centered around intervals or chord quality recognition exercises (aka - recognizing whether a chord is major, minor, maj 7th, etc.), then recognizing chords by ear is going to be quite difficult. There are many reasons that interval-based ear training is not the best way to go and also many reasons why chord quality exercises aren't effective either, identifying chord inversions is just one of the many areas that those methods fail in.

A tonal approach to ear training is essential if you want to be free from the clunky process of calculating distances between notes or memorizing reference songs for each interval.

What this means is you should work within a musical key when training your ears - it will allow you to internalize the unique sonic sensation that each scale degree, and each chord assumes in the tonal context. This will initially take time, but it’s worth the investment, and is guaranteed to develop the ability of recognizing notes and chords within a key quickly and intuitively.

Once you feel confident recognizing scale degrees and chords (in root position) in this way you can move on to identifying inversions - here’s a good approach on how to learn chord inversions by ear:

1. Identify the global sensation of the chord and evaluate if it's a root position chord or an inversion.
2. If it feels like a root position chord, you shouldn’t have any issues in recognizing it (at this point). If you still have issues with that we can help you, keep reading to know more.
3. If it feels like an inversion then first assess the scale degree of the bass note.
4. Now listen to the remaining notes in the chord and try to tell what chord they belong to (1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree chord, etc.).
5. Once the bass note and chord are known, it’s simply a matter of naming the inversion - be sure to take a moment each time you successfully identify one and internalize the specific feeling of that chord inversion.
6. After putting in the time to practice this, the process will speed up. Eventually recognizing chord inversions will become second nature to you and you will no longer need to rely on these steps after having internalized the unique feeling of each chord inversion. As previously mentioned, chord inversions have a slightly different sonic sensation than their corresponding root position chord.

Getting to this final stage will take time! Until you can do steps 1-4 with ease, don’t expect to be able to instantly identify inversions by ear - patience is the key, rushing this process will only end in frustration.

Want to learn how to recognize chord inversions by ear?

We’ve touched on a few key points around how to practice chord inversions and ear training in general, but it’s really just the tip of the iceberg.

You wouldn’t have made it this far if you weren't trying to grow as a musician - so let’s quickly take a look at some ways to help you do that!

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Conclusion

Hopefully you now feel inspired to explore the world of chord inversions, with a better understanding of their function, and their ability to add depth and complexity to your music. Utilizing inversions will undoubtedly enhance your composition skills and overall musicianship.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to recognize chords, notes, inversions by ear or anything else related to ear training feel free to checkout our website.