What is an inversion

I am going to start learning the piano again. I was looking through a piano book of tab chords, and they a chord and its inversions. Is an inversion nothing more than a chord being played with its sharps and flats to give way to a new chord? That is my guess. When I listen to John Lennon's Imagine, when he sings 'you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...' is that chord structure the chords inversions? If I am totally wrong forgive me. I'm not very educated in music theory, and am trying to learn. Thank you for your help.

Here is what an inversion is:

Let us take, Cmaj7, for example:

Root position is:

C E G B

1st inversion:

E G B C

2nd inversion

G B C E

3rd inversion

B C E G

and there is no 4th inversion since it takes you back to root position. The number of available inversions for a chord depends on the number of notes in that chord. Inversions are good to know for example, if the chord says Cmaj7 on the lead sheet, and the melody note is E, you just play a 2nd inversion. Of course, you don't have to play such a voicing, but as a stepping stone to learning how to come up with an impromptu arrangement on the spot from a fake book, knowing them will get you through a tune. In the meantime, you can practice different voicings and as time progresses, you will be able to use them in fake book interpretation. You didn't mention anything about playing from fake books, of course, I just wanted to demonstrate that theory can have a practical application, and this is one of them.

Regarding chord books, I never, in my life, have used them for the piano. I don't need them because I learned chords intellectually (I used flash cards), first, then went over to the piano and discovered the notes after I memorized each chord. From there, playing different inversions was quite a simple matter. The chord books give you a visual representation, but with a sea of black and white keys, you may get dizzy. Learning them intellectually, i.e, a Cmaj7 chord is C E G B, a Cm7 chord is C Eb G Bb, and so on, then going to the piano and finding where the notes are, is a better way, in my view. Also, and this is very important, with each new chord learned, also know the scale position of each note, for example, C E G B is 1 3 5 7, Cm7 is 1 b3 5 b7, C7 is C E G Bb, and so one with all chords. I can't stress how important this is. Once all of this becomes second nature, much of theory, of which the above is fundamental, will fall easily into place.

Then there is ear training, and it goes on from there.

Patrick L.

You mean Bb of course. If you play the above chord it won't sound like a C Maj 7

huh? Not meaning to patronise but I think you've got your theory muddled up.

C Maj 7 = C E G Bb C Min 7 = C Eb G Bb

you with me?

No, you are not with him. Cmaj7 is C E G B not B flat. C E G Bflat is C7. Are you with us?

TS

I must get my piano tuned - on mine it did sound like a C Maj 7

Don't mean to patronise either but isn't there a difference between a C7 and a C Maj 7 ?

Yes, Tom, you are right - - according to 'The Keyboardist's Picture Chord Encyclopedia' by Leonard Vogler $11.95 Amsco Publishing:

C7 - C E G Bb C Maj 7 - C E G B C Min 7 - C Eb G Bb

Chuck

Hi tom, chuck, and paul. I stand corrected and informed. I never new there was a difference between C7 and C Maj 7

I guess if its in that book, it must be right, right?

learn something strange everyday I suppose its logical......just regards,

It's also a good idea to practice playing every chord (start with 12 Major, 12 Minor, and all 7th, Maj7th, 6th) in every inversion. Every day pick a chord (like Maj 7th) and play it in all 12 keys in every inversion. I usually go around the circle of 4th/5th (i.e., in both directions), then up chromatically, playing the root in one hand and the chord in the other. Play using 'voice leading' so you share the most notes between each chord change when going 'round the circle.

Once this is mastered (as well as playing arps instead of chords), playing simple arrangements from lead sheets is a snap. Give yourself a year of daily practice, and you'll be on your way!

Without specifying, a chord is considered major. So there's no reason to write ''Maj' in the above chord, we already know it's major. That's why 'Maj' refers to the 7th (in this case, B

Dragging up long lost memory from theory lessons some 50 years ago with a terrible groan he coughed up: 'I think the regular C7 is actually the dominant 7th and is used more commonly than the major 7th.' Whew, he said, wiping his mouth and such, that didn't come up easily. I wonder where it was actually stored?

Gerry

Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.

Actually, an inversion is when a layer of warm air is forced upward my one or often two converging layers of colder air sliding under it. In this situation the normal steady decline in temperature with altitude is reversed for a portion of the air column and it often causes high air polution due to the trapped stale air.

Gerry Comparisons are as bad as clichés.