Chord Inversions on Guitar

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BranshenBranshen Frets: 1222
edited January 2018 in Theory
I was thinking about inversions on guitar to increase my chord vocab and found this short lesson on some inversion voicings for major and minor chords. It's a good foundation for new Chords+extension voicings too. 

Posting it here for anyone interested. 

http://www.fretjam.com/guitar-chord-inversions.html
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Comments

  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    inversions are a powerful tool for composition
    they enable you to make the bass lines more musical and so break out from only using root notes for the bass..

    a good place to start is by looking at the CAGED chord shapes [both major and minor] and placing the 3rd [1st inversion] and 5th [2nd inversion] in the bass..
    you really need to experiment with this.. it's fun too..

    one thing I like to do is have the bass notes move in the opposite direction to the chord progression..
    try this for example...
    a nice and simple
    I - VII - VI in Am
    Am - G - F
    all nice simple chords down by the nut

    although the chord progression descends, you can make the bass line rise on the A string

    Am - G/B - F/C

    I like to use progressions like this to drain power out of the music because distances between the lowest and highest notes reduce with each successive chord.. so as the spread of notes gets smaller, a little piece of drama / intensity drains away..
    it's a nice effect..
    and likewise, in reverse you can build power and strength in the music..
    the melody goes up, the bass goes down, the spread gets wider..
    try this:
    F/C [top note: C] - G/B [top note: D] - Am [top note E]

    another thing to note..
    if you are playing in a band / ensemble, inversion is determined by the lowest sounding instrument irrespective of what you play as an individual.. so if you are playing inversion on guitar and the bassist is playing roots, combined you'll sound like everything is in root inversion.. and likewise, you can be playing all root inversions chords, but the bassist can make the inversions happen
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • BranshenBranshen Frets: 1222
    @clarky brilliant post. I will get working on the CAGED + inversions idea. Simple idea but sounds so full of possibilities.

    I've never thought of slash chords as possibly being inversions, I've just played them as such without applying my mind to them. Thanks for that. 
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  • ManneManne Frets: 7
    edited January 2018
    I published some posts and videos about triads and inversions on my blog page.  Search for triad. Maybe it's helpful for someone (free pdf files).

    Create diatonic triads in a major scale by just shifting the root of each triad down a diatonic second → 2 common tones.


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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    edited January 2018
    Branshen said:
    @clarky brilliant post. I will get working on the CAGED + inversions idea. Simple idea but sounds so full of possibilities.

    I've never thought of slash chords as possibly being inversions, I've just played them as such without applying my mind to them. Thanks for that. 

    Great stuff, great topic. 

    I’m using inversions more and more in my playing but I tend to play low voicings: E-shape chords and their inversions, and A-shape chords and their inversions. Probably because my sound has quite a lot of grunt at the low end and I find them very effective, especially when they double up what the bassist is doing, as Clarky mentioned. The main ones I use are:

    1) E-shape chords and associated inversions, where the 6th string provides the bass note of the chord:

    in G major for example:

    Root: 3 5 5 4 3 3 (E-shape)
    1st or G/B (standard version): 7 10 9 7 8 7 (C-shape)
    1st or G/B (alternative): 7 5 5 4 x x
    2nd or G/D: 10 10 12 12 12 10 (A-shape)
    3rd or G/F: 13 14 15 12 12 x (or 1 2 3 0 0 x)

    A-shape chords and associated inversions, where the 5th string provides the bass note of the chord:

    in C major for example:

    Root: x 3 5 5 5 3 (A-shape) or x 3 2 0 1 0 (C-shape)
    1st or C/E: x 7 5 5 5 8 (does this shape have a name? G-shape?)
    2nd or C/G (standard version): x 10 10 9 8 8 (E-shape)
    2nd or C/G (alternative): x 10 12 12 13 12 (D-shape)
    3rd or C/Bb: x 13 14 12 11 x



    i know many guitarists, especially jazzers, are more interested in voicings that concentrate on the top 4 strings - particularly as the bassist provides the low note - but I really like the musical effect you get from using those low-string inversions. I do need to get into chords that are based (bassed?) off the 4th string as well though. 
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    edited January 2018
    viz said:
    Branshen said:
    @clarky brilliant post. I will get working on the CAGED + inversions idea. Simple idea but sounds so full of possibilities.

    I've never thought of slash chords as possibly being inversions, I've just played them as such without applying my mind to them. Thanks for that. 

    Great stuff, great topic. 

    I’m using inversions more and more in my playing but I tend to play low voicings: E-shape chords and their inversions, and A-shape chords and their inversions. Probably because my sound has quite a lot of grunt at the low end and I find them very effective, especially when they double up what the bassist is doing, as Clarky mentioned. The main ones I use are:

    1) E-shape chords and associated inversions, where the 6th string provides the bass note of the chord:

    in G major for example:

    Root: 3 5 5 4 3 3 (E-shape)
    1st or G/B (standard version): 7 10 9 7 8 7 (C-shape)
    1st or G/B (alternative): 7 5 5 4 x x
    2nd or G/D: 10 10 12 12 12 10 (A-shape)
    3rd or G/F: 13 14 15 12 12 x (or 1 2 3 0 0 x)

    A-shape chords and associated inversions, where the 5th string provides the bass note of the chord:

    in C major for example:

    Root: x 3 5 5 5 3 (A-shape) or x 3 2 0 1 0 (C-shape)
    1st or C/E: x 7 5 5 5 8 (does this shape have a name? G-shape?)
    2nd or C/G (standard version): x 10 10 9 8 8 (E-shape)
    2nd or C/G (alternative): x 10 12 12 13 12 (D-shape)
    3rd or C/Bb: x 13 14 12 11 x



    i know many guitarists, especially jazzers, are more interested in voicings that concentrate on the top 4 strings - particularly as the bassist provides the low note - but I really like the musical effect you get from using those low-string inversions. I do need to get into chords that are based (bassed?) off the 4th string as well though. 
    another thing to add for anyone interested in old school classical stuff..
    there is a rule [which is pretty strict - especially in harmony / counterpoint]

    if a major triad is in 1st inversion, do not double the 3rd
    so... the 3rd is in the bass, and only roots and 5ths can sound above it..
    ok so in the modern world we don't care about all that unless you have to pass exams or create a piece that is authentic to a specific time / style [Baroque or Classical for example]..

    thing is... these old fellas knew what they were doing.. because there is more clarity to the chord if you try out this rule..
    example:
    play a regular G chord [G, B, D, G, B, G]
    placing it in 1st inversion means just playing from the 5th string [the B] onwards and not having the 6th string [the low G] sounding...
    sounds perfectly fine to us... but not to Bach or Mozart... they'd frown at it because the 3rd is doubled..
    it's sounding on the 5th and 2nd strings..

    now try making a small barre with your little finger on the 3rd fret covering the 1st and 2nd strings..
    starting from the 6th string this gives you x, B, D, G, D, G
    notice now that the 3rd sounds only once and in the bass, the rest of the chord is made from roots and 5ths..

    due to having this drummed into me and the subsequent experimentation with it when I was studying..
    I now almost always play major chords in 1st inversion without doubling the 3rd..
    not because I'm following the rules, but simply because I like the sound..

    with minor chords in 1st inversion, you're allowed to double the 3rd [no idea why this is ok]..
    however, my lecturer told me that if possible, try to avoid it if you can


    play every note as if it were your first
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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    edited January 2018
    I always think it sounds nicer with the major chord’s 3rd lower down and the minor chord with its third higher up. That’s probably why you can double up in minor - you almost have to, because the low minor note is too close to the bass to ring out, it sounds turgid without the top one. 

    (As an amusing aside, try playing the Hendrix chord as 0 7 5 7 9 x !)
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    edited January 2018
    just been noodling..
    this brings a bunch of chats together... inversions, sus4 and the German 6th

    Dm , , , | D/C , , , | Gm/Bb , , , | Bb7 , , , | Dm/A , , , | Asus4 , A7 , | Dm , , , |

    notes:
    D/C is D major in 3rd inversion [I use the 'A shape' on the 5th fret with the C played on the 5th string, string 1 and 6 do not sound]
    Bb7 is functioning as a German 6th [play the 7th <the Ab> on the 1st string so that is can rise to the A in the Asus4 chord]
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • BradBrad Frets: 658
    I am rather partial to this 2nd inversion CMaj7 at the moment = 3-3-2-4-x-x
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    Brad said:
    I am rather partial to this 2nd inversion CMaj7 at the moment = 3-3-2-4-x-x
    how about 3-3-2-0-0-0
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • BradBrad Frets: 658
    Clarky said:
    Brad said:
    I am rather partial to this 2nd inversion CMaj7 at the moment = 3-3-2-4-x-x
    how about 3-3-2-0-0-0
    That is indeed lovely and the open strings give a different sound so it would depend on the context. I prefer to have each note used only once in a chord to make it easier for voice leading, manipulating a chord on the spot (say I want to move the root up an octave, or the 5th up 2 octaves?) and for playing in different keys.
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    edited January 2018
    Brad said:
    Clarky said:
    Brad said:
    I am rather partial to this 2nd inversion CMaj7 at the moment = 3-3-2-4-x-x
    how about 3-3-2-0-0-0
    That is indeed lovely and the open strings give a different sound so it would depend on the context. I prefer to have each note used only once in a chord to make it easier for voice leading, manipulating a chord on the spot (say I want to move the root up an octave, or the 5th up 2 octaves?) and for playing in different keys.
    I was playing it as an arpeggio on a 12-string so it was all jingly jangly and sounded lovely..
    and of course that voicing breaks the doubling 3rds rule [that I generally stick to]
    like you say though.. context is all important..
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • BradBrad Frets: 658
    Clarky said:
    Brad said:
    Clarky said:
    Brad said:
    I am rather partial to this 2nd inversion CMaj7 at the moment = 3-3-2-4-x-x
    how about 3-3-2-0-0-0
    That is indeed lovely and the open strings give a different sound so it would depend on the context. I prefer to have each note used only once in a chord to make it easier for voice leading, manipulating a chord on the spot (say I want to move the root up an octave, or the 5th up 2 octaves?) and for playing in different keys.
    I was playing it as an arpeggio on a 12-string so it was all jingly jangly and sounded lovely..
    and of course that voicing breaks the doubling 3rds rule [that I generally stick to]
    like you say though.. context is all important..
    Wish I had a 12 string for all that jangly goodness!
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    Brad said:
    Clarky said:
    Brad said:
    Clarky said:
    Brad said:
    I am rather partial to this 2nd inversion CMaj7 at the moment = 3-3-2-4-x-x
    how about 3-3-2-0-0-0
    That is indeed lovely and the open strings give a different sound so it would depend on the context. I prefer to have each note used only once in a chord to make it easier for voice leading, manipulating a chord on the spot (say I want to move the root up an octave, or the 5th up 2 octaves?) and for playing in different keys.
    I was playing it as an arpeggio on a 12-string so it was all jingly jangly and sounded lovely..
    and of course that voicing breaks the doubling 3rds rule [that I generally stick to]
    like you say though.. context is all important..
    Wish I had a 12 string for all that jangly goodness!
    they are wonderful things..
    mines a Tanglewood acoustic.. nothing hugely expensive.. but lovely none the less..
    an interesting point about context..
    a 12-string  really does come to life when you have a few open strings sounding..
    this can certainly influence your choice of chord voicing..
    so another spin on context is not just the music, but the instrument itself..
    play every note as if it were your first
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