Root (chord)
note from which a chord is formed
In music theory, the root of a chord is the note that names and typifies the chord. Tertian chords are named based on (1) their root, (2) their quality (assumed to be major if no quality is named), and (3) their extensions, if any (assumed to be a triad if no extensions are named). For example, a C chord refers to a C major triad, a major triad built on the note C, which is its root.
The root of a tertian chord is the note on which the subsequent thirds are stacked (though on occasion, some of the notes in the stack may be omitted). For instance, the root of the E minor triad is E, independent of the vertical placement of the three notes that compose it (i.e., E, G, and B).
Root vs. bass note
The root of a chord need not be its bass note (i.e., its lowest note). If the root is the bass note, then the chord is said to be in root position; otherwise, it is an inverted chord. A triad can be in three possible positions: (1) root position, with its root in the bass; (2) first inversion, with its third in the bass; or (3) second inversion, with its fifth in the bass. In the music below, the root of each triad is shown in red.
“Root (chord)” enters the record as note from which a chord is formed. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Root, chord and note can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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This entry incorporates text from “Root (chord)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.