Inversions. 2 2
So far, you've played chords in what are called root position. 3 3
Which means that your thumb is on the note, gives the chord its name. 4 4
The root note. 5 5
So for instance, C [SOUND]. 6 6
This is root position because your thumb is playing the root of the note, 7 7
which is C. 8 8
Now there are two other ways to play those three notes, the C, the E and the G. 9 9
You could play the C, E and play the G below. 10 10
[MUSIC] 11 11
You're still playing C, E and G. 12 12
Or you could play C, E and G. 13 13
Hold the note. 14 14
[MUSIC] 15 15
So you're still playing C, E and G. 16 16
So C, E, G. 17 17
C, E, G. 18 18
Or C, E, G. 19 19
[SOUND] Ok, so the other two are called inversions. 20 20
And we're gonna call this a middle inversion because your middle finger's 21 21
going on the root of the note. 22 22
C E G. 23 23
And we'll simply call the other one a backward inversion because you're 24 24
going backwards down from the root. 25 25
C E G. 26 26
[SOUND] Now with inversions you'll still need the base to play 27 27
the root of the chord because the lowest note of a chord 28 28
determines the overall tonality of the chord. 29 29
So when you're playing C with the root position, 30 30
[MUSIC], that's okay. This will definitely be a C. 31 31
When you're playing a middle inversion, 32 32
[MUSIC], 33 33
the lowest note has changed. 34 34
So you still need the C in the bass to give it an overall tone of C. 35 35
If you're playing a backward inversion, you'll still need the C in the bass 36 36
[MUSIC] 37 37
to give it that overall tone of C. 38 38
So the easy way to form inversions, to form the middle inversion, 39 39
first, place your middle finger on the root of the note, 40 40
then find the other two notes of the chord. 41 41
So you're wanting to find C-E-G, in the chord of C. 42 42
So, place your middle finger, then find the E, then find the G down below. 43 43
So that's C in the middle. 44 44
C backwards, simply place your small finger on the ridge of the note and 45 45
find the other two notes back down the piano. 46 46
So you're E and G, but below. 47 47
It's called a backwards inversion. 48 48
Very simple. 49 49
So try this technique on all the other chords you've learned so far. 50 50
So for instance, let's try a F middle. 51 51
So F, normally root position, F A C. 52 52
So if you want F middle, immediately put your middle finger on F and 53 53
find the A and the C down below. 54 54
Let's try G backwards. 55 55
So first of all you're going to go back down from the root so 56 56
the small finger on the G, find the B and the D down below. 57 57
[MUSIC] 58 58
That's G backwards. 59 59
D minor middle. 60 60
So D minor is D, F, A. 61 61
So you're gonna play a middling version. 62 62
So middle finger on the D, the red note. 63 63
Find the F and the A. 64 64
A has to be down below. 65 65
[MUSIC] 66 66
So get used to that shape as well. 67 67
So back to the same root. 68 68
[MUSIC] 69 69
Shift is like that. 70 70
Middle inversion. 71 71
We'll see we have two there and one there, that gap. 72 72
Backwards inversion. 73 73
There's a bigger gap on that side. 74 74
If you get used to the shifts. 75 75
Root position. 76 76
Middle. 77 77
Backwards inversion. 78 78
So why use inversions? 79 79
You may have noticed that if you play other chords in root position only, 80 80
you have to move your hand quite a bit to get from chord to chord. 81 81
So for instance, if you're going from C up to F, 82 82
you can see that you have to move the whole sheet above and 83 83
the actual sound changes quite a bit as well from a low sound to a higher sound. 84 84
If you play a middle F inversion. 85 85
[MUSIC] 86 86
So F, middle finger on the F. 87 87
Find the other two notes A and C. 88 88
[MUSIC] 89 89
When you go from C to middle inversion F. 90 90
[MUSIC] 91 91
You can see you're not having to jump about quite so much and 92 92
the sound is connected closer together. 93 93
So C, F, C, F. 94 94
Try the example on the page, and 95 95
try to notice how smooth the transitions are. 96 96
So you're going from a C, to middle inversion F, 97 97
and a backwards inversion G, so small finger. 98 98
Finger on the G, fanged, the other two notes, B and D, down below. 99 99
Back to C. 100 100
So C, F middle, G backwards, and C. 101 101
[SOUND] Much 102 102
smoother. 103 103
On the next page, inversions a common mistake so very very important. 104 104
Very often you'll play a sequence of chords such as C. 105 105
[SOUND] Followed by C7. 106 106
[MUSIC] 107 107
And to make C 7th you move your thumb using the memory trick before, 108 108
you moved your thumb two left. 109 109
[MUSIC] 110 110
Okay? You remember that? 111 111
[MUSIC] 112 112
But, what if you were playing a C middle inversion and 113 113
you wanted to turn it into a C7? 114 114
So you're playing, [MUSIC] 115 115
C, and then you want to play C7. 116 116
Most people without thinking after learning this trick of moving 117 117
the thumb two left, again more their thumb two left. 118 118
[MUSIC] So they will try to play a C7 like that, 119 119
but that's a different chord all together, so go back to the C 120 120
[MUSIC] 121 121
and go to C7 122 122
[MUSIC] You'll notice that the C moved to the 7th, 123 123
okay? 124 124
So move the note to your left. 125 125
All right, so again, if you're playing C middle, it's 126 126
this that moves to left. 127 127
That's the seventh. 128 128
That's very important to remember that. 129 129
[MUSIC] 130 130
With a middle inversion, 131 131
it's still the root note C that is to be moved to make C 7th. 132 132
[MUSIC] 133 133
And you're playing the root note in the left hand as well. 134 134
[MUSIC] 135 135
Okay? Or in a backwards inversion, same thing. 136 136
So C backwards 137 137
[MUSIC], 138 138
you're finding the E and G down below 139 139
[MUSIC] 140 140
okay? You're still moving this C, 141 141
the root note down to the 7th. 142 142
You're playing the base note. 143 143
That's a C, the root note. 144 144
C backwards. 145 145
C7. 146 146
Basically, the thing to remember is to move the note, not the finger, 147 147
so you learn first of all what position, move your thumb. 148 148
[MUSIC] 149 149
But that was just a trick at the time to remind you what to do. 150 150
But remember now to move the root note down to the 7th. 151 151
Cuz you're still playing the root in the left hand, so 152 152
you don't need it in the right hand anymore. 153 153
[MUSIC] 154 154
So you can move it on to the 7th. 155 155
[MUSIC] 156 156
But a middle inversion, you're still moving the root note off, 157 157
putting it on the 7th. 158 158
Backwards inversion, you're still moving the root note off and 159 159
placing it on the 7th.