Major Chord Inversion Guitar Lesson

By Dan Cross, About.com Guide

Randomly pick a major chord (e.g. Gmajor or Amajor) and play the first chord voicing above, making sure the root of the chord (marked above in red) is on the root of the major chord you're trying to play. Finger the chord as follows: pinky on 6th string, ring finger on 5th string, and index finger on 4th string. This first shape is referred to as a "root position" chord, because the root note is the lowest note in the chord.

There are two ways to figure out how to play the next chord illustrated above.

1. Find the root note on the 4th string, and form the chord shape around that. If you're not comfortable with the note names on the 4th string, try
2. Counting up four frets on the sixth string. This will be the starting note for the next chord shape. Use your ring finger on the 6th string, and barre the 5th and 4th strings with your index finger. This is referred to as a "first inversion" chord. Move between the root position and first inversion chord.

To play the last chord voicing

• find the root note on the 5th string, and form the chord around that note.
• Alternately, count up three frets on the 6th string, and start the new voicing on that fret (ring finger on 6th string, middle finger on 5th, index finger on 4th). This third chord shape is referred to as a "second inversion" chord.

To bring these voicings full-circle, count up five frets on the sixth string, and play the root position chord again. Move back and forth between all three voicings for the chord you've chosen. They should all sound similar - all three chords shapes contain the same notes arranged in a different order.

Example: to play an Amajor chord using the above voicings, the root position chord starts on the 5th fret of the 6th string. The first inversion chord starts on the 9th fret of the 6th string. And the second inversion chord starts on the 12th fret of the 6th string.