What is an inversion? - The notes of a C major chord are C, E, and G. However, these three notes in any order would still be a C major chord. E-G-C is C major, and so is G-C-E. You could even orchestrate chords across multiple instruments. If a clarinet plays a concert G, a guitar plays a concert E, and someone sings a concert C, what you would hear is a C major chord. Rearranging these notes is also known as “inverting” the chord. If you have a hard time determining major vs minor, I would review the previous two videos in this series. If you have a hard time determining the inversion, you likely need to work on intervals more. There is no magical "1st inversion sounds mysterious" method to go by.
Root position chords always have the name of the chord (or the root) as the lowest note. 1st inversion chords have the 3rd as the lowest note (E in a C chord), and 2nd inversion chords have the 5th as the lowest note (G in a C chord.)
Here are three methods to decide which inversion you're hearing.
Method 1: Sing the individual pitches and find where the perfect 4th is. In the root voicing, there is no 4th. In 1st inversion, the 4th is between the upper two notes. In 2nd inversion, the 4th is between the bottom two notes.
Method 2: Find the root note. This will be the note that sounds most important, or most stable. In root position, it's the bottom note. In 1st inversion, it's in the middle. In 2nd inversion, it's on the top.
Method 3: Sing the outer notes. In root position, the bottom to the top note is a perfect 5th. In 1st inversion, the notes span a minor 6th. In 2nd inversion, they span a major 6th.
Easy? No! Here's where it gets complicated. I would argue that what we’re really doing with this exercise is learning to hear the particular voicing of a chord. If you’re actually playing chords on the piano, what usually happens is that your left hand determines the root/inversion and your right hand plays whatever voicing is closest to the previous one. If you’re playing G-C-E in the right hand, but a C in the left hand, you’ll hear it function as a root position harmony. On the other hand, if you play C-E-G in the right hand, but an E in the left hand, you'll hear it as a 1st inversion chord. Also keep in mind that in a real musical setting, the lowest instrument determines the inversion. If you're playing a regular C chord on the guitar, but a bass player plays a G, then we will hear a C major 2nd inversion chord, and it should also be notated that way on a lead sheet.
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15 окт 2024
