Triads & inversions root, third, fifth, three ways

Major = root, a third four frets above it, and a fifth three frets above that. On a bass you play a triad one note at a time, so each grip is three notes, one on each of three neighbouring strings, played low to high and back. The lowest note names the shape:

• Root position — C E G (C on the bottom, 3 2 0)
• First inversion — E G C (the third on the bottom, 7 5 5)
• Second inversion — G C E (the fifth on the bottom, 10 10 9)

G|--------0---|--------5---|--------9---|
D|-----2-----2|-----5-----5|----10----10|
A|--3---------|--7---------|-10---------|
E|------------|------------|------------|
    C  E  G  E   E  G  C  G   G  C  E  C

Play the three C shapes Stop

Each bar plays low, middle, high, then the middle again. Keep the notes even and let each ring until the next.

Move the third down one fret and major becomes minor. C minor on the same strings is 3 1 0: the D-string note drops from fret 2 to fret 1. A minor (A C E) one string set lower, on E, A, D:

G|------------|------------|------------|
D|--------2---|--------7---|-------10---|
A|-----3-----3|-----7-----7|----12----12|
E|--5---------|--8---------|-12---------|
    A  C  E  C   C  E  A  E   E  A  C  A

Play the three A minor shapes Stop

Drop one string set and each shape stays the same but five frets higher, because every bass string is a fourth above the last. C root position was 3 2 0 on A, D, G; on E, A, D it is 8 7 5. Here is C major on E, A, D, in the order the shapes climb the neck:

G|------------|------------|------------|
D|--------2---|--------5---|-------10---|
A|-----3-----3|-----7-----7|----10----10|
E|--3---------|--8---------|-12---------|
    G  C  E  C   C  E  G  E   E  G  C  G

Play C on E, A, D Stop

The first bar is second inversion, the middle one root position and the last first inversion. Down here the low notes are at their fullest, so keep the hand relaxed and the notes short.

A bass player joins chords with the smallest steps too. Play each chord’s triad as a short phrase and start the next chord on the note nearest the last: in C the line below never leaps further than a whole step between chords (G to F, C to D, G to G).

G|--------0|-----2--5|--7--4--0|--0------|
D|-----2---|--3------|---------|-----2---|
A|--3------|---------|---------|--------3|
E|---------|---------|---------|---------|
    C  E  G   F  A  C   D  B  G   G  E  C

Play C – F – G – C Stop

Chords: C · F · G · C, one bar each. Count it out loud, 1 2 3-4, so the long last note lands on beat 3.

These grips are the same notes as the root–third–fifth part of the arpeggios on Shapes & positions. The fifth often has two homes, because the A string at fret 5 is the same pitch as the open D string.

Open the backing band, which leaves the bass for you. Play the root on beat 1 of each bar. Then add a triad note on beats 3 and 4 that leads to the next chord, as in Lesson 4. When the line walks, continue to Walking bass.

Move on when all of these are true on a normal day:

• You can play all three inversions of a major or minor triad on A, D, G and on E, A, D.
• You can say which note is the root, third and fifth in each grip while you play it.
• You can play I – IV – V – I in C as one line with no leap bigger than a whole step between chords.