How To Invert Chords The Proper Way
As you remember from the lesson with the Chords, I mentioned that to be able to connect Chords properly they must be inverted. Before we learn about the other types of Chords, in this video I want to go into the details of Chord Inversions to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of how to invert Chords correctly. This will make things easier for you when you learn all the rest of the Chords that will come along the way.
Let’s analyze the first Chord from the Cadence that we had for homework (play). First of all, the Inversion is not determined by the structure of the upper tones (point by playing them) but by the lowest tone here in the bass. The bottom tone is always dictating the inversion of the Chord. No matter how we put the upper tones in the right hand (play few examples) this will always be the root position of the Chord. Also it doesn’t matter which tone we will double up here. We can double the third if we want or the fifth. What we’re doing with the right hand is called voicing. We’re simply arranging the tones in different voicings.
Same goes with the first inversion. If we put the Third in the bass, no matter how we voice the upper tones, it will always be the first inversion of the Chord.
Same goes with the second inversion. Fifth in the bass, whatever we put up here will always be the second inversion.
Experimenting with inversions and voicings can enhance the beauty and richness of your chord progressions.
Now for practice I would like you to take the same Cadence from the previous two videos but this time experiment with the Inversions and the voicings of the Chords in it. Because this can greatly enhance your creativity which is the main target of this course. So far we put all the Chords only in root position (play). So now, you may try for example a different voicing in the right hand and placing the first Chord in root position and then the second one in First Inversion, then the third one maybe root position again, maybe the fourth one in second inversion…use your imagination. Also explore the different voicings in the right hand (play). But remember when you connect the Chords to follow the rule of A: preserving the common tone if any and B: move the tones to the closest ones of the next Chord. Experiment in different key signatures by following the Circle of Fifths or you can try random keys, it’s up to you.