*$

Chord oa rnversrons
Beverting, squirting, inverting, subverting a,nd blur4ing. .trtu TucKEtt, ta,lks a,borrt one of these things.
ou may have heard the term 'chord
inversion', and wondered what it was all about. Although it sounds technical, the concept is not difffcu'lt, and is uselul because it can expand the possibilities fbr writing and arranging on the guitar. To explain horv inversions i.vork, let's take :r standard open C chord. The chord is voiced (ie the notes are arranged) as shown in the C major fretbox belorv. Notice that in the normal voicing voicing, the lowest note in the chord is the root note C (shown in black), and it is therefore referred to as being in 'root position' (co rn-Lcr 21, BY'IE r). This is also the most obvious note for the bassist to play underneath the chord. open E string (sholm in green in the fret box). A'second inversion'is created by playing the same chord with G (the 5th) as the lorvest note - shor.rm in yellolv in the

fretbor (co rRAcK 21, nvtn 3).

Because a 7th chord consists of four

IIITEN,EII{G A CIIOR,D
The chord is inverted *'lien its lorvest note is another chordal note other th:rn the root. The chord of C major is made up ol the triad olnotes, C, E, G, and so the'first ilversion' ofthe chord is created *'hen 1'ou play a C chord rvith E (the 3rd of the chord) as the lorvest note (cl rRAcK 21, nvrs z). This is easily done on guitar by adding the

notes, you can play it in third inversion bv n-rahng the 7th the lorvest note (see the fretbox for DrnT). One of the benelits of inversions is thai they can create more interesting bass lines than simply moving sh:rpes around the neck. This can be effective u-ith steps'ise bass movement, as shou.n in the demo (r'rc r). Ifyour rhlthm plogressions need sonte new life, itt u'ell u'orth trfing dillerent inversions ol chords, especial\' if I ou play acoustic. Another rvav to approach the idea is for bass players to play different chord notes under standard chords and create new inversions that way. Once you're okay rvith the concept, turn to Rodt jazz column on page 76, where his version of 1 Got Rhytlvn

EEEEE
BYTE 1 C major in root position
BYTE 2 C major

in first inversion

BYIE 3 C maior in second inversion

@E
The demo track (fig 1) which features a
C

major descending chord sequence using only shapes shown in the six fretboxes below

The open E striDg (8rd) at the bottom -

this is'1st iuversion'.

A note of G (5th) at the bottom - thls ls
'2Dd inversion',

"r:.

three g?9t

ol1ryg.tt".re

The Dote of C (r@t) at the bottom - thls is

Next month

ue uncor:er the shaily uorld of

'r@t position'.

Inversions of
open C ehord

chord substitutiore.

lt'n

F/A

| .,=

Dm7

DmTlC

The demo track uses the chorde show! i! ffg t. Chold lEveraioDs ue indlcated by foUowing the chord name with a slastr ud the bass Dote, eg C/E. Noti hoE the jlrP up D mtave inversloDs used make the bass IiDe move stepwise dom the scale froE C to B. Of couse you ru out of gultu after the C/E chord, so you have to to the opeD D strlng ln orde! to keep tlte desceDdirg lire goiDg.

major

tu/B

FIA

G (/B)

Dmz (/C)

Tlrese fretboxes show how you cu chuge the lDvelsiors of cholds. Al1 of these ee used ln the deEo trek. Tb iDdiete how you cu play differeut iDversions, we,ve lutrcduced & colou Eystem - a black rote indlcates r@t position, a gr@n lotc ffrst i[ve$ioD, 4 yellow for s@nd iDvelsiol ud blue for third inwersion-

rssuE

14;.lxulnv

1996

E@EE@E

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