Printable worksheet
Chord Inversion Worksheet (Printable, with Answers)
Printable chord inversion worksheet: identify or write root position, first, second and third inversions of triads and seventh chords.
Chord Inversion Worksheet (Printable, with Answers)
Sheet #
Name Date Score /
Answer key
Chord Inversion Worksheet (Printable, with Answers) · Sheet #
How to use it
- Choose a difficulty and a task: identify the inversion shown, or write a named inversion.
- Generate a sheet of triads (and seventh chords at medium and hard).
- Identify: name the chord and its inversion. Write: place the chord on the empty staff.
- Check against the answer key, which includes the figured bass.
What this exercise practises#
An inversion changes which chord note is in the bass without changing the chord’s name. The worksheet has two tasks:
- Identify: a chord is shown on the staff; name the chord and its inversion.
- Write: a chord and an inversion are named (for example A♭ major triad, second inversion); write it on the empty staff.
The rule#
| Lowest note | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| Root | root position | root position (7) |
| Third | first inversion (6) | first inversion (6/5) |
| Fifth | second inversion (6/4) | second inversion (4/3) |
| Seventh | - | third inversion (4/2) |
To identify a chord, restack the notes in thirds to find the root, then look at the lowest written note. To write one, spell the root-position chord and move the lower notes up an octave until the requested note is at the bottom.
Difficulty levels#
- Easy: major and minor triads in all three positions.
- Medium: all four triad qualities plus major 7th, dominant 7th and minor 7th chords.
- Hard: adds half-diminished and diminished 7th chords, roots with double accidentals and, in mixed-clef mode, the alto clef.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which inversion a chord is in?
Find the root by stacking the notes in thirds, then see which chord note is lowest. Root lowest: root position. Third lowest: first inversion. Fifth lowest: second inversion. Seventh lowest: third inversion.
What do the figures 6, 6/4, 6/5, 4/3 and 4/2 mean?
They are figured-bass numbers, measured above the bass note. 6 is a first-inversion triad, 6/4 a second-inversion triad, 6/5 a first-inversion seventh chord, 4/3 a second-inversion seventh chord and 4/2 a third-inversion seventh chord.
Does the order of the upper notes change the inversion?
No. Only the lowest note decides the inversion; the upper notes can be in any order or octave.
Do seventh chords have a third inversion?
Yes. A seventh chord has four notes, so it has root position and three inversions. Triads have only two inversions.
Which levels include seventh chords?
Easy uses major and minor triads only. Medium adds diminished and augmented triads and major, dominant and minor sevenths. Hard adds half-diminished and diminished sevenths.