Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Basic Music Theory

example above, that chord is said to be in close harmony, or close

position, and this is usually within an octave.

When a chord is spread out over more than an octave, or if there is a gap

between chord tones where another could be but isn’t, as in the second

and third examples above, that chord is said to be in open harmony, or

open position.

First Inversion

A first inversion chord has the third of the chord as its bottom note. To

make a first inversion chord, take the tonic of a root position chord and

move it above the fifth. This will leave the third of the chord in the

bottom voice.

You’ll often see chord letters marked in music, especially music with

lyrics. The letter name won’t tell you anything about inversions or the

Roman numeral for that chord; you have to figure these out for yourself.

This is called harmonic analysis. Inversions and Roman numerals are

shown in harmonic analysis, which you’ll see under the chords in the

examples below.

To mark the first inversion in harmonic analysis, a 6 is written above and

to the right of the Roman numeral. This is because the interval from the

bottom note (3rd of the chord, remember) to the tonic is now a 6th. If you

don’t believe me, count it out in the examples below.

Example 30.2 First inversion chords in the key of C in close and open harmony.

I^6 I^6 I^6

C C C

6th