Chord Inversion Calculator

Pick a root note, chord type, and inversion number to see the resulting notes, bass note, and figured bass symbol.

Quick Facts

Inversion rule
Move the bass note(s) up an octave to invert a chord
Triads use figured bass 5/3, 6, 6/4; seventh chords use 7, 6/5, 4/3, 4/2.

Your Results

Calculated
Notes (bottom to top)
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Chord tones in this inversion
Bass note
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Lowest-sounding note
Figured bass
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Standard inversion symbol
Intervals above bass
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Distance from the bass note

Ready

Choose a root note, chord type, and inversion, then press Calculate.

Understanding Chord Inversions

A chord inversion is what happens when a note other than the root sits at the bottom of the chord. The chord's identity — its letter name and quality, like "C major" — never changes. What changes is which tone is in the bass, and that affects how the chord sounds, how smoothly it connects to neighboring chords, and how it is labeled in figured bass notation.

The formula

Every chord starts as a stack of thirds built above a root: a triad is root, third, fifth; a seventh chord adds a fourth note, the seventh. To invert a chord, take the lowest note(s) of that stack and move them up an octave, one at a time:

  • Root position: the root is in the bass (triad: root-3rd-5th; seventh: root-3rd-5th-7th).
  • First inversion: move the root up an octave — the third is now in the bass.
  • Second inversion: move the root and third up an octave — the fifth is now in the bass.
  • Third inversion (seventh chords only): move the root, third, and fifth up an octave — the seventh is now in the bass.

This calculator applies that rule directly: it rotates the chord's semitone formula by the inversion number, wrapping the displaced tones up an octave, then reads the resulting note names from a 12-tone chromatic scale starting at your chosen root.

Figured bass symbols

Each inversion has a standard shorthand describing the intervals stacked above the bass note:

  • Triads: root position = 5/3 (usually left unmarked), first inversion = 6, second inversion = 6/4.
  • Seventh chords: root position = 7, first inversion = 6/5, second inversion = 4/3, third inversion = 4/2.

Reading the result

Enter a root note, chord type, and inversion number. The calculator lists the chord tones from the bass note upward, names the bass note itself, shows the figured bass symbol for that position, and gives the interval quality (in semitones) of each upper note above the bass — useful for spotting close-position voicings, checking a bass line by ear, or confirming a chord symbol against a score.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a chord inversion?
A chord inversion is a rearrangement of a chord's notes so a tone other than the root is the lowest (bass) note. Root position has the root in the bass, first inversion has the third in the bass, second inversion has the fifth in the bass, and (for four-note seventh chords) third inversion has the seventh in the bass. The chord's letter name and quality do not change — only which note is lowest.
What do figured bass symbols like 6 or 6/4 mean?
Figured bass numbers describe the intervals stacked above the bass note. A root-position triad is labeled 5/3 (often left unmarked), first inversion is 6, and second inversion is 6/4. Seventh chords add a fourth position: root position is 7, first inversion is 6/5, second inversion is 4/3, and third inversion is 4/2.
How do you invert a chord?
Take the lowest note of the chord and move it up one octave so it becomes the highest note; the note that was next in the stack becomes the new bass note. Repeating this cycles a triad through root position, first inversion, and second inversion, or cycles a seventh chord through all four positions.
Does an inversion change what chord it is?
No. C major in first inversion is still a C major chord — the root, third, and fifth are identical either way. Only the bass note and the vertical spacing of the notes change, which affects the sound and the figured bass label, not the chord's name or function.

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