Inversions · Seventh chords · Music theory
A seventh chord has four positions: root position and three inversions, with the 3rd, the 5th or the 7th in the bass.
Inversions
A seventh chord has four positions: root position and three inversions, with the 3rd, the 5th or the 7th in the bass.
Their figures give the intervals above the bass: 7, 6/5, 4/3 and 4/2 (V⁷, V⁶₅, V⁴₃, V⁴₂). The Spanish baroque figures used in Spanish conservatories add a “+” for the leading tone: 7, 6/5 with the 5 struck through, +6 and +4.
Figures: how each tradition writes them
The same inversion is written in several ways depending on the tradition. It is worth recognizing them all, because methods and scores do not agree.