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Inversions on the

Eā™­ Inversions on the guitar

Inversions are a fundamental concept in music theory that refer to the rearrangement of the notes in a chord. In a basic chord, the root note (the note that names the chord) is the lowest sounding note. However, in an inversion, one of the other notes in the chord is played as the lowest note. Inversions are used to create different voicings of the same chord, adding variety and depth to musical compositions. They can also smooth out chord progressions, making the transitions between chords sound more natural and fluid.

There are three main types of inversions for triads and four for seventh chords. There is also a third inversion, this is only applicable to seventh chords, where the seventh of the chord is the lowest note.

  • Root Position: The root note is the lowest note. (1-3-5 for a triad, 1-3-5-7 for a seventh chord)
  • First Inversion: The third is the lowest note. (3-5-1 for a triad, 3-5-7-1 for a seventh chord)
  • Second Inversion: The fifth is the lowest note. (5-1-3 for a triad, 5-7-1-3 for a seventh chord)

Here are some common examples of chord inversions, and how to play them on a guitar.

Explore the Eā™­ chord inversions

The root position of the Eā™­ triad chord in major scale:The inversions of Eā™­:
  • The first inversion (3-5-1) is called Eā™­/G, which has the notes G-Bā™­-Eā™­
  • The second inversion (5-1-3) is called Eā™­/Bā™­, which has the notes Bā™­-Eā™­-G
  • The third inversion (7-1-3-5) is called Eā™­maj7/D, which has the notes D-Eā™­-G-Bā™­
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Explore the Eā™­m chord inversions

The root position of the Eā™­m triad chord in major scale:The inversions of Eā™­m:
  • The first inversion (ā™­3-5-1) is called Eā™­m/Gā™­, which has the notes Gā™­-Bā™­-Eā™­
  • The second inversion (5-1-ā™­3) is called Eā™­m/Bā™­, which has the notes Bā™­-Eā™­-Gā™­
  • The third inversion (ā™­7-1-ā™­3-5) is called Eā™­m7/Dā™­, which has the notes Dā™­-Eā™­-Gā™­-Bā™­
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Explore the Eā™­aug chord inversions

The root position of the Eā™­aug triad chord in major scale:The inversions of Eā™­aug:
  • The first inversion (3-♯5-1) is called Eā™­aug/G, which has the notes G-B-Eā™­
  • The second inversion (♯5-1-3) is called Eā™­aug/B, which has the notes B-Eā™­-G
  • The third inversion (7-1-3-♯5) is called Eā™­aug maj7/D, which has the notes D-Eā™­-G-B
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Explore the Eā™­dim chord inversions

The root position of the Eā™­dim triad chord in major scale:The inversions of Eā™­dim:
  • The first inversion (ā™­3-ā™­5-1) is called Eā™­dim/Gā™­, which has the notes Gā™­-Bā™­ā™­-Eā™­
  • The second inversion (ā™­5-1-ā™­3) is called Eā™­dim/Bā™­ā™­, which has the notes Bā™­ā™­-Eā™­-Gā™­
  • The third inversion (7-1-ā™­3-ā™­5) is called Eā™­dim7/D, which has the notes D-Eā™­-Gā™­-Bā™­ā™­
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