Easy Chord Inversions For Rhythm Guitar

I will explain chord inversions and how to use them in this article. You may have heard of this term before, but I will explain it if you don't know what it is. If you know the six-string barre chord shapes and the five-string barre chord shapes, you can already play inversions. For example, an A minor chord is a triad. It has an A note, a C note, and an E note in it. There can be multiples of each of those notes as octaves, but only three unique named notes exist. The A minor chord does not have to have the A note be the lowest-sounding note of the chord. We can have the C note be the lowest-sounding note of the chord, or we could have our E note be the lowest-pitched note in the chord. That's all a chord inversion is. The root position would have the A note as the lowest pitch note, the first inversion would have the C note as the lowest pitch, and the second inversion would have the E note as the lowest pitch. 

We can use barre chord shapes, and instead of playing all through six strings, we're going to play on three strings within the shapes. There are already chord inversions within your barre chord shapes; we must ensure we start on the correct note we want. In this example, we will take a 5-string E minor barre chord shape, starting on the 7th fret. Instead of starting on the fifth string, I will begin on the D string on the 9th fret.

I will only play the notes on strings four, three, and two. That is the second inversion E minor chord. Now we will take a six-string version of a B major chord. I will play on strings four, three, and two; I will play my root, major third. and 5th. That's a root position B chord. 

The next chord we will look at is part of a D major barre chord on strings two, three, and four. I will take my first finger and put it across the 7th fret. This is a second inversion major barre chord because I'm starting with the five of the chord on the fourth string.

The next chord we will do is a G major chord, and it's like the C shape but in a barre chord format where your pinky would be on the 10th fret, my ring finger on the 9th fret, my first finger barring across the 7th fret, and my middle finger on the 8th fret. I will play the same strings as with the previous chords. I won't have to make the whole chord shape with all my fingers. It will be just those three notes on strings two, three, and four. 

Without moving my hand around, I can play all four chords using different chord inversions in the same location on the same strings. If you notice, the very lowest pitched note in the E minor is on the 9th fret on the D string; this same note is the lowest pitch note for the B major, and the same note is in the G major. Those three chords share the same note. Piano players always use this technique a lot, but guitar players don't use it as much. The only time we change the pitch of the lowest note is when we go to the D major chord on the 7th fret of the D string. Without changing the lowest pitch note, it still sounds like the chord change that your ear expects to hear. Remember that chord inversions aren't these crazy, complex things. If you know how to play barre chords, you already know how to play chord inversion shapes. 

Remember, always have fun with your guitar, and I'll see you next time…

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About Mark Turko: Mark Turko is a professional guitar player and instructor with over 30 years of experience and teaches guitar lessons online.