Chord Inversions

[thegummy]

I have played basic keyboard for many years and very often like to play the first inversion of chords - just always liked the way it sounded and never really thought much more about it.

The other day I looped a couple of chords to practice bass over and when I was playing an A note over an Am chord (first inversion) there was some strange resonance going on and it didn't have the same feeling as playing the root note on the bass usually does. I thought it might be amp settings or that maybe the kick on the drum machine had too much of a pitch to it that was clashing but ruled both of these out.

Then I thought about the inversion and tried playing the E note on the bass and it felt more like a root usually would.

Is it the norm to play the 3rd on the bass when the chord is played in the first inversion on the other instrument?

Obviously loads of notes can be played on the bass but I mean when going for that root note feel, would a "Am/E" chord have A or E played on the bass?

[paul_c2]

 

11 hours ago, thegummy said:

The other day I looped a couple of chords to practice bass over and when I was playing an A note over an Am chord (first inversion) there was some strange resonance going on and it didn't have the same feeling as playing the root note on the bass usually does. I thought it might be amp settings or that maybe the kick on the drum machine had too much of a pitch to it that was clashing but ruled both of these out.

Sounds like a slight out-of-tune situation, but its impossible to say without hearing it etc. I guess it depends a lot on what voice/patch the keyboard uses.

11 hours ago, thegummy said:

Then I thought about the inversion and tried playing the E note on the bass and it felt more like a root usually would.

A minor with E in the bass, E isn't the root but its the lowest note. I am not sure if this is what you mean when you say it feels like the root - but its not, obviously!

11 hours ago, thegummy said:

Is it the norm to play the 3rd on the bass when the chord is played in the first inversion on the other instrument?

I don't think there's any obligation or "standard" or "norm" of what one instrument plays, when another plays an inversion. I am not sure of your musical situation but if it were a well-known piece or reading written music, then you'd play what was written or expected etc. The only similar situation I can think of is with "rootless voicings" on eg extended chords, here the bass would be expected to play the root since others aren't.

 

11 hours ago, thegummy said:

Obviously loads of notes can be played on the bass but I mean when going for that root note feel, would a "Am/E" chord have A or E played on the bass?

Again, I am not sure how you're interpreting "root note feel". But if the chord is notated Am/E then that defines that the bass would play E (not A).

All the above assumes that the bass (guitar) would be the lowest pitch, ie is defining/playing what would be the lowest note across the ensemble of musical instruments playing. This is normally the case but not always, and definitely needs to be clearly understood who is playing what when you're playing with a piano/keyboard player who has the full range of their instrument available ie the left hand could be playing a bassline which is the same pitch range as the bass guitar. Its a bit difficult to generalise but in my experience the left hand of a piano part would normally be the same bassline as the bass, or very similar (one or other would have a straightforward/simplified bassline, the other would have a variation). Or, the piano would have a more widely-ranging left hand part where there are occasional low root notes played, alongside an upper part maybe consisting of chords or other lines not-too-low ie on the bass clef say 1-1 1/2 octaves below middle C.

[thegummy]

Thanks for the reply.

It's very hard to put in to words what I mean about that feeling of playing the root note vs any other, kind of hoped it would just be a familiar thing to fellow players.

You've essentially answered my question though.

P.s. I tried tuning the bass very carefully, tried changing the keyboard sound, drum sound etc.

Seems to definitely be that the lowest note played by the keyboard wasn't what I was paying on bass

[Joebass]

Hi gummy,

How low were you playing on the keyboard? A low register E on the piano will sound muddy and dissonant against a low A on the bass. Google low interval limits for more.

BTW, Am/E would be in 2nd inversion.

Joe

 

[thegummy]

2 hours ago, Joebass said:

Hi gummy,

How low were you playing on the keyboard? A low register E on the piano will sound muddy and dissonant against a low A on the bass. Google low interval limits for more.

BTW, Am/E would be in 2nd inversion.

Joe

 

Wasn't playing in the bass guitar's register but suppose it still applies to a degree.

Will defo Google that, thanks for the suggestion.

Funny that I always thought that inversion was the first! Is first inversion what they call the normal chord or is first inversion with C in the bottom?

[paul_c2]

A chord* consists of the root, third and fifth. 1st inversion is defined as the lowest/bass note being the third; and a second inversion is defined as the lowest/bass note being the fifth.

*I know there's lots of other eg 4+ note chords, and chords based on notes other than stacked thirds. But don't want to confuse with all the exceptions!

[paul_c2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inversion

[DaveFry]

Are you hearing the strange resonance using headphones ? 🎧
If not , then the room / cab placement / frequency / ratio / listening position / tonewoods-aligned-with-crystals effect may come into play .

How do the A on the keyboard and the A on the bass compare on the same phone tuner app ? 🕵️‍♂️