The root note is the pitch upon which a chord is based; the fundamental note on top of which the intervals of a chord are built. A chord is named after its root note (see keynote).
Look at the intervals in a G major chord:
Root: GMajor Third: BPerfect Fifth: D
However, even though the root note acts as the tonal foundation of a chord, it’s not always the bottom note (or “bass”):
G Major Root Position: G - B - D G Major 1st Inversion: B - D - G G Major 2nd Inversion: D - G - B
G remains the root in each chord inversion, despite its location. G major in the 2nd inversion has D as the bass, but this does not make it a D major chord (which would be D - F# - A).
Also Known As
la fondamentale; basso fondamentale (It)la basse fondamentale (Fr)Grundton (Ger)
The root note is the pitch upon which a chord is based; the fundamental note on top of which the intervals of a chord are built. A chord is named after its root note (see keynote).
Look at the intervals in a G major chord:
Root: GMajor Third: BPerfect Fifth: D
However, even though the root note acts as the tonal foundation of a chord, it’s not always the bottom note (or “bass”):
G Major Root Position: G - B - D G Major 1st Inversion: B - D - G G Major 2nd Inversion: D - G - B
G remains the root in each chord inversion, despite its location. G major in the 2nd inversion has D as the bass, but this does not make it a D major chord (which would be D - F# - A).
Also Known As
la fondamentale; basso fondamentale (It)la basse fondamentale (Fr)Grundton (Ger)
The root note is the pitch upon which a chord is based; the fundamental note on top of which the intervals of a chord are built. A chord is named after its root note (see keynote).
Look at the intervals in a G major chord:
Root: GMajor Third: BPerfect Fifth: D
However, even though the root note acts as the tonal foundation of a chord, it’s not always the bottom note (or “bass”):
G Major Root Position: G - B - D G Major 1st Inversion: B - D - G G Major 2nd Inversion: D - G - B
G remains the root in each chord inversion, despite its location. G major in the 2nd inversion has D as the bass, but this does not make it a D major chord (which would be D - F# - A).
Also Known As
la fondamentale; basso fondamentale (It)la basse fondamentale (Fr)Grundton (Ger)
The root note is the pitch upon which a chord is based; the fundamental note on top of which the intervals of a chord are built. A chord is named after its root note (see keynote).
Look at the intervals in a G major chord:
- Root: GMajor Third: BPerfect Fifth: D
However, even though the root note acts as the tonal foundation of a chord, it’s not always the bottom note (or “bass”):
- G Major Root Position: G - B - D
- G Major 1st Inversion: B - D - G
- G Major 2nd Inversion: D - G - B
G remains the root in each chord inversion, despite its location. G major in the 2nd inversion has D as the bass, but this does not make it a D major chord (which would be D - F# - A).
Also Known As
- la fondamentale; basso fondamentale (It)la basse fondamentale (Fr)Grundton (Ger)
