Lesson ggg: Seventh Chords Introduction

Inversions of seventh chords

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Position Chord Member in the Bass Intervallic Content

Inversions of seventh chords:
As with triads, seventh chords may also be written in inversion. Because there are four distinct pitches in a seventh chord, there are, accordingly, four possible positions (determined by the lowest pitch). The following example shows the four positions of a ii⁷ chord in C major:
Example 4:

Like triads, inverting a seventh chord alters the ~~intervallic content~~ intervallic relationships between the upper voices and the bass. [NOTE: Inverting a seventh chord does not alter the intervallic content of the sonority, but it does alter the intervallic relationship of each upper voice to the bass. That is what figured bass signatures show, and is what we’re pointing out, right?] The notation for labeling seventh chords indicates the intervals formed with the bass, although abbreviated notation is often used. For example, a seventh chord in first inversion contains the intervals of a 6^th, a 5^th, and a 3^rd above the bass. Rather than write three numerals every time (

), the convention is to assume the 3^rd and simply write:

. The following table summarizes the figured-bass signatures of the inversions of seventh chords, and gives the notational short hand in the rightmost column:

Position	Chord Member in the Bass	Intervallic Content	Figured Bass Short Hand
root position	root	7 5 3	7
first inversion	third	6 5 3	6 5
second inversion	fifth	6 4 3	4 3
third inversion	Seventh	6 4 2	4 2	or	2

Directory: Online-Remedial-Music-Theory-Program -> Lesson GGG - Seventh Chords
Online-Remedial-Music-Theory-Program -> Lesson nnn: Augmented Sixth Sonorities Introduction
Online-Remedial-Music-Theory-Program -> Lesson nnn: Augmented Sixth Sonorities Introduction
Online-Remedial-Music-Theory-Program -> Lesson jjj – Applied Chords Introduction
Lesson GGG - Seventh Chords -> Lesson ggg – Seventh Chords Introduction
Online-Remedial-Music-Theory-Program -> Lesson eee: The Dominant Seventh Chord Introduction
Online-Remedial-Music-Theory-Program -> Lesson ooo: Other Chromatic Harmonies Introduction
Online-Remedial-Music-Theory-Program -> Lesson aaa – Basic Interval Progressions Introduction

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