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Chord inversions classify chord positions of triad and seventh chords. Every chord position (close or open) of a triad or seventh chord is either the root position or one of the inversions. This depends only on the bass tone. The root close position is used for the comparison. If the bass tone is the same as:
the chord root, then it is the root position
the chord third, then it is the first inversion
the chord fifth, then it is the second inversion
the chord seventh, then it is the third inversion
As an example, the next figure classifies a few close and open positions of the C major triad chord. From the root close position of the C major triad chord we know that the chord root is C, the chord third is E and the chord fifth is G (this was explained in chapter Triad, seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords).
Figure: Classifying the C major triad chord positions as the root position or one of the inversions
Triad chords have two inversions while seventh chords have three inversions.
Chord inversions are only practical when they are used with the triad and seventh chords. If we try to use them with the ninth, eleventh or thirteenth chords (which span more than one octave in their root position) we find unnecessary complications. The truth is that almost all of the chords that we find when we analyze harmony in compositions from the common practice period are triad and seventh chords. Even ninth chords occur rarely and when they do, we always annotate them as they are in the root close position.
When we want to annotate the inversion of a chord, we do that by annotating the bass tone of the chord (as explained in the previous chapter). This will be shown in the next chapter.
Chord inversions in close position
Chord inversions in close position
In this chapter we shall restrict ourselves to close positions to show how easy it is then to find chord inversions. The following figures show the procedure for finding inversions from the root position, for the triad chords and seventh chords. The procedure for building the next position from the previous one is simple: we take the note with the lowest pitch from the previous position (marked red in the figures) and transpose it an octave higher. If we take a final inversion and repeat this procedure, we shall get again the root position, only this time it would be an octave higher. This is an indication that we have found all the possible inversions.
Figure: The C major triad chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C minor triad chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C augmented triad chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C diminished triad chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C dominant seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C major seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C minor seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C diminished seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C half-diminished seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C augmented seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C minor-major seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
Figure: The C augmented-major seventh chord, the root position and inversions, all in the close position
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