Inversions of Triads

8/15/2019 Inversions of Triads

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NCVPS AP Music Theory

Presentation by Dr. Tom Moncrief

Inversions of Triads


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Inversion of TriadsWhen rst earnin! to identify and s"e chords

#e s"e them in boc$ form. %oc$ form &orsno#man stac$ed form' is #hen a of the (rd are in order) stac$ed on to" of one another.

*emember) Tertian +armony is based on theeement of this interva of the (rd.

When the *oot of the chord is in the o#est

voice &%ass') the chord is in *oot Position. Not

every chord has the *oot as the o#est noteand to account for that #e identify the

inversion that a chord is in.


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Inversion of Triads,et-s ta$e a basic triad. %eo# is the Triad in *oot

Position and aso in st Inversion. Notice that inboth chords the notes are &A) C/) 0'. We usethese notes to identify the 1uaity and Scae

De!ree 2unction of the chord. So) this chord hasa 1uaity of Ma3or and the *oot of both of thechords is 4A5.

A Ma3or in *oot Position A Ma3or Chord in st Inversion


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Inversion of Triads These t#o chords do have the same "itches)

ho#ever they do not sound the same. Thesonority of the chord #i sound di6erent becauseof the "art of the chord that is in the o#est

soundin! voice. 7ur ear #i hear that chord in st

inversion as not bein! as com"ete or sonorousthan the *oot Position chord.

A Ma3or in *oot Position A Ma3or Chord in st Inversion


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Inversion of Triads,et-s discuss ho# #e notate that a chord is in an

inversion. We use Arabic 2i!ures to notateinversions. Arabic Numbers are the numbers that#e use in money transactions &) 8) (' as

com"ared to *oman Numeras &I) II) III'. A triadthat is in rst inversion #i use the ArabicNumber &9' to identify that the triad is in rstinversion.

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Inversion of TriadsNotice that the *oot Position triad does not

have any !ures underneath it. %ecause Tertian +armony is based on (rds and the*oot is the o#est voice) there is no need for

!ures to further identify the *oot Positiontriad.

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Inversion of Triads The &9' in the rst inversion) is notatin! that

there is a 9th above the o#est note &%ass')from 4C/5 to A5 and a (rd above from 4C/5 to405. The Arabic Numbers coud sho# this a &9'

and &(') ho#ever these !ures are short handand the (rd is assumed in a rst inversion triad.

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(


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Inversion of Triads,et-s ta$e a oo$ at a st inversion chord and

!ure out ho# to identify it. 2irst) #e mustidentify a of the notes that are sounded &:) %b)0b'. Then #e must as$ if these notes are inStac$ed form &in direct (rds of one another'. No)

this chord is not. Second) #e must rearran!ethese notes so that they are in direct (rds orstac$ed form. The stac$ed form #oud be &0b) :)%b'.


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Inversion of Triads;no#in! that the stac$ed form is &0b) :) %b' #e

can identify the chord and its


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Inversion of TriadsA Triad has three "itches &*oot) (rd and =th'. If the

*oot is in the o#est voice &%ass') the triad is in *ootPosition. *oot Position does not re


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Inversion of TriadsSecond Inversion Chords have the =th of the

stac$ed chord as the o#est soundin! "itch

&in the %ass'. The triad beo# has thefoo#in! "itches &0) A) and C/'. These

"itches are not in order by thirds &because405 to 4A5 is a fourth not a third'. In orderto identify the triad and its


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Inversion of Triads The inversion !ure for the A Ma3or Triad is &9)

@'. We must use both of the Arabic Numbershere because if #e ony used the &9' #e #oudbe usin! the same !ure as a st inversion triad. The &9' re"resents an interva of a 9th above theo#est voice &%ass' and &@' re"resents aninterva of a @th above the o#est voice &%ass'.In this chord the interva of the 9th is bet#eenthe 405 and the 4C/5 and the @th is bet#een the405 and the 4A5.

9

@


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,et-s PracticeWhat is the *oot of

this TriadB

What is the 1uaityof the TriadB

What inversion isthis Triad inB


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The Ans#erWhat is the *oot of

this TriadB The notesare &Ab) C) and 2' andthey form a stac$ed&2) Ab) C' so the *oot

is 425.What is the 1uaity of

the TriadB Minor) &2)Ab) C' is a minor triad.What inversion is this

Triad inB st Inversion)the (rd 4Ab5 is in theo#est soundin! voice.


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this TriadB




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this TriadB




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this TriadB The notesare &A) D) and 2' andthey form a stac$ed&D) 2) A' so the *oot is

4D5.What is the 1uaity of

the TriadB Minor) &D)2) A' is a minor triad.What inversion is this

Triad inB 8nd Inversion)the =th 4A5 is in theo#est soundin! voice.


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this TriadB




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this TriadB The notesare &2/) A/ and C/'and they are areadyin stac$ed form so the

*oot is 42/5.What is the 1uaity of

the TriadB Ma3or) &2/)A/) C/' is a Ma3ortriad.

What inversion is this Triad inB *oot Positionas the *oot is in theo#est soundin! voice.


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Inversion of TriadsInversions of Triads can be identied by the "art of

the triad that is the o#est soundin! voice &%ass'.A *oot Position triad has the *oot as the o#estsoundin! voice. The st Inversion Triad has the (rd as the o#est soundin! voice. The 8nd Inversion

Triad has the =th as the o#est soundin! voice.

*oot Position 2irst Inversion SecondInversion

Inversions of Triads

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