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Naming chords is an important skill in music theory.

Grade 5 - Naming Chords

Learn how to name chords at Grade 5. Understand chord quality, position, and figured bass so you can label triads and sevenths quickly in any key.

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Fascinating Fact:

Inversions use figures: triads root none, first inversion 6, second inversion 6 4. Sevenths root 7, then 6 5, 4 3, 4 2 for successive inversions.

In Specialist Music Theory at Grade 5, you identify a chord by its root, quality, and inversion. You will also read and write figured bass so that chord positions are shown clearly above or below a bass line.

Key Terms

Chord quality: The type of chord, such as major, minor, diminished, or augmented.
Inversion: Which chord note is in the bass. This changes the chord’s position and sound.
Figured bass: Numbers that show intervals above the bass note to indicate the chord shape.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do I name a chord in Grade 5 theory?

Find the root, decide the quality by its thirds and fifths, then state the inversion. You can add a Roman numeral for the scale degree if needed.

What do the figures like 6, 6 4, 7, 6 5, 4 3, 4 2 mean?

They are interval labels above the bass note. The set of numbers tells you which chord tones are present and therefore which inversion is used.

How can I tell which inversion a triad or seventh is in?

Look at the bass note. If it is the root, it is root position. If the third is in the bass, it is first inversion. If the fifth is in the bass, it is second inversion. For sevenths, if the seventh is in the bass, it is third inversion.