CH 7- Chord Inversions and Progressions

Inverted Triads

  • Root Position- The root of the chord (tone its name is resolved from) is the lowest note of the chord

  • Inversion- When the third, fifth, or seventh is in the bass note

  • There are two ways to name a chord Inversion: Classical and modern way

    • Classical: I6

      • Interval between lowest note and C is a sixth

      • Every first inversion chord will have 6 subscript in classical style

    • Modern: C/E

      • “C over E”

  • A chord in second inversion is I64

    • G to E is a sixth

    • G to C is a fourth


  • If a chord is in root position, no action is needed

  • If chord is first inversion (third is in the bass), it is I6 or C/E

  • If chord is in second inversion (fifth is in the bass), it is I64

  • Any triad regardless of type/ quality can be inverted

  • Every chord in the harmonized scale can be inverted, so every roman numeral from I to VII can be inverted using the figured bass symbols for first and second inversion

  • If you see a roman numeral with nothing after, it is in root position


Inverted Seventh Chords

  • Seventh chords open the door to “third inversion”

  • Classical theory figurations are different for seventh chords

  • First Inversion: V65 / G7/B

    • sixth from B to G; fifth from B to F

  • Second Inversion: V43 / G7/D

    • Fourth from D to G; third from D to F

  • Third Inversion: V2/ G7/F

    • Interval from F to G is a second

    • Everything else is thirds, no need to list them


Chord progressions

  • A chord progression is a movement of chords from one point to another

Chord Stacks

  • When talking about chords as vertical stacks of notes, you adopt philosophy that chords are objects

  • Composers wrote lines of melodies that summed together as chords when musicians looked up at them

  • Harmony did not solidify into something recgonizable until the baroque era

  • there are sounds associated with feelings, moods, and other things that cannot be quantified with theory


**music first, theory second


Diatonic Progressions and Solar Harmony

  • Progressions purely diatonic can make lots of music themselves

  • Tonic carries the most weight and importance in any musical key

    • Point of resolution; typically/ always comes back to the one chord

  • “Solar Harmony” Concept

    • The one chord is at the center of the universe (sun)

    • All other chords rotate around that central chord with different degrees of pull


Primary Chords

  • In a major key, there are three primary chords used to spell out and harmonize the key

    • Include I, IV and V

  • Existance of D, G, and A chords tells you that you are in key of D major

    • Primary chords (I, IV, and V) for D major

  • Three chords will only get you so far


Secondary Chords

  • ii, iii, vi chords of any major key

  • All three secondary chords are minor

  • Secondary chords embellish the primary chords and give chord progressions variety

  • Chords aren’t chosen at random- there are embellished norms

    • Understand how to use diatonic chords and how to write them

    • Afterward, explore through analysis of other music how far outside the lines you can color


Solar harmony

  • Tonic serves two main roles in tonal music: Start and end

  • Progressions tend to gravitate towards tonic chord each time in tonal music

    • Composers worked to prolong the inevitable moment of coming back to strong tonic


The Chord ladder

  • Device that shows the relationships among all the diatonic chords in a key

  • Reference to “harmonic gravity”- All chords in some way fall to I chord at the end

  • When two chords occupy the same step, it means that the chords can substitute for each other


Chord Substitutions

  • I and vi are on the same step because they can substitute for each other

    • Share common tones

    • In key of C, both share C and E


Ladder of fifths

  • Many chord progressions are based on movements of fifths

  • Ladder without extra chords as strictly fifth-based movements from the tonic chord up

    • Progression: iii- vi - ii - V - I

  • When replaced with substitute chords: iii - vi - IV - viio - I


Deceptive Resolutions

  • vi is next to I as a deceptive resolution to I chord

  • You break the pattern that V resolves to I by allowing V to resolve to vi (Deceptive cadence)

    • Prolongs progression by sending oyu back on ladder, giving more time to keep musical phrase alive and continue progression


** The chord ladder does not dictate what you should/ shouldn’t use when writing

  • Presents choices that work well together

  • Shows how chords typically progress in diatonic situations