Identify Triads in First Inversion: Staff Quiz

In first inversion, the third of the chord is in the bass. The type of triad does not change: it is still major, minor, diminished or augmented. But it looks different on the staff: from the bass you see a sixth up to the top note, and the two upper notes are a fourth apart (or an altered version of it).

1. What it looks like on the staff

Type	Root position	First inversion (third in the bass)
Major	C – E – G	E – G – C
Minor	D – F – A	F – A – D
Diminished	B – D – F	D – F – B
Augmented	C – E – G♯	E – G♯ – C

2. How to analyze it

Tip: When the chord is written in close position, the top note is the root. Start from it and identify the type as if the chord were in root position: stack the notes in thirds in your head, then count the half steps (UK: semitones) from the root to the third and to the fifth.

3. Interactive exercise

All the chords are in first inversion: the third is in the bass. Your task is to identify the type of triad.

Next exercise: identify triads in second inversion. To practice the opposite skill, build triads in first inversion.

If you practice these chords on an instrument, the online metronome helps you build speed gradually: start slowly (50-60 BPM) and speed up a little at a time. The online tuner lets you check that every note of the chord is in tune.

For the full theory of each triad, see the page on triads, with the diminished chord and the augmented chord.

Printable worksheet (PDF)

The same exercise on paper, for class: 21 triads in first inversion on one side of A4, and under each one you write its type. With a separate answer sheet.

It goes from easier to harder: first chords with natural notes in treble clef, then with sharps and flats and the bass clef coming in gradually, and finally a few with a double accidental.

Printable PDF worksheet with 21 triads in first inversion to analyze — A4 sheet with 21 triads in first inversion to analyze.

Download the worksheet (PDF, A4) Answers

You may print and photocopy it freely for the classroom. To practice in the other direction, see the worksheet to write triads in first inversion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first inversion of a triad?

In first inversion the third of the chord (not the root) is in the bass. For example, in C major in first inversion the bass is E, and the upper notes are G and C. It is the same chord (C–E–G), with a different note in the bass.

How do you recognize a first inversion on the staff?

In first inversion the interval from the bass to the middle note is a third, and from the bass to the top note it is a sixth. This combination of a 3rd and a 6th (written 6/3 in figured bass) is the visual signature of a first inversion.

What is the visual difference between root position and first inversion?

In root position the bass is the root. In first inversion the bass is the third. In practice you find out by counting the intervals from the bass: a 3rd and a 5th mean root position; a 3rd and a 6th mean first inversion.

What is the first inversion used for in harmony?

A first inversion gives a chord more movement and lightness than root position. It is especially useful for making bass lines that move by step, for smoothing a chord progression, and for linking two root-position chords without a leap in the bass. In figured bass it is written 6/3, or simply 6.

Which chord is the hardest to identify in first inversion?

The diminished triad is the one most often misread. From the bass, its intervals are a minor 3rd and a major 6th (for example D–F–B), which can look like a major chord at first glance. The giveaway is the interval between the two upper notes: it is an augmented fourth (a tritone), not a perfect fourth.