---
title: "Inverted Triad — AP Music Theory Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "An inverted triad has the third or fifth in the bass instead of the root. Learn how 6 and 6/4 figures label inversions on the AP Music Theory exam."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-music-theory/key-terms/inverted-triad"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Music Theory"
unit: "Unit 3"
---

# Inverted Triad — AP Music Theory Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

An inverted triad is a triad with a chord member other than the root in the bass. First inversion puts the third in the bass (figured 6) and second inversion puts the fifth in the bass (figured 6/4), and the inversion is shown with Arabic numerals after the Roman numeral.

## What It Is

An inverted triad is any [triad](/ap-music-theory/unit-7/tonicization-through-secondary-dominant-chords/study-guide/rLCBduMA9EmMPYSSNiwd "fv-autolink") where the bass note is not the [root](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/root "fv-autolink"). Same three pitches, different note on the bottom. If the chordal third is in the bass, the triad is in **first inversion**. If the chordal fifth is in the bass, it's in **second inversion**. Only the bass matters for inversion. The order of the upper voices can be anything, so a C major triad with E in the bass is first inversion whether the G or the C sits on top.

[AP Music Theory](/ap-music-theory "fv-autolink") labels inversions with Arabic numerals (figures) that describe intervals above the bass. Root position is 5/3 (usually left blank), first inversion is 6/3 (abbreviated to just 6), and second inversion is 6/4. When you write an inverted triad in voice leading, you spell out all three chord members completely. The figure tells you what to build above the bass, not just a shorthand to memorize.

## Why It Matters

Inverted triads live in Topic 3.3 (Chord Inversions and Figures) in [Unit 3](/ap-music-theory/unit-3 "fv-autolink"): Music Fundamentals III. They directly support two learning objectives. AP Music Theory 3.3.A asks you to identify chords with Roman and [Arabic numerals](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/arabic-numerals "fv-autolink") showing the root, quality, and bass note in both performed and notated music, which means you have to hear and see the difference between V and V6. AP Music Theory 3.3.B asks you to read a figured bass and translate it into the Roman numeral progression it implies. Per the essential knowledge (PIT-2.A.2), the bass note is the deciding factor, and the Arabic numeral system exists precisely to label what sits above that bass. Inversions also explain why real bass lines are smooth and melodic instead of leaping around between roots, which is the whole reason composers use them.

## Connections

### Root position triad (Unit 3)

[Root position](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/root-position "fv-autolink") is the default state an inverted triad departs from. Same chord members, but the root is in the bass and the figure is 5/3. If you can spell a triad in root position, finding its inversions is just rotating which note lands on the bottom.

### Arabic numerals / figured bass (Unit 3)

[Figures](/ap-music-theory/unit-5/cadential-64-chords/study-guide/Fmolx6ik4nmpMVO4inHe "fv-autolink") are how inversions get written down. The 6 in V6 means a sixth above the bass, which only happens when the third of the chord is the lowest note. Reading a figured bass line is basically decoding a string of inversion labels back into harmonies.

### [Roman numeral analysis (Unit 3)](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/roman-numeral-analysis)

A complete chord label is Roman numeral plus figure. The Roman numeral gives you the root's [scale degree](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/scale-degree "fv-autolink") and quality, and the Arabic numeral tells you which member is in the bass. ii6 and ii are the same chord serving up a different bass note.

### Seventh chord inversions (Unit 3)

The same bass-note logic scales up. A seventh chord has four members, so it gets three inversions with their own figures (6/5, 4/3, 4/2). Master triad inversions first and the seventh-chord figures follow the same pattern of intervals above the bass.

## On the AP Exam

Inverted triads show up everywhere. Multiple-choice questions (both aural and non-aural) ask you to identify a chord's inversion from a score or a recording, or to match a figured bass to its implied Roman numerals. On the free-response section, the figured bass realization and Roman numeral composition questions both require you to handle inversions correctly, and the 2025 exam's Questions 5 and 6 involved inverted triads directly. In written voice leading, an inverted triad must be spelled completely with all three chord members present, and the figure dictates exactly which note belongs in the bass. A wrong bass note is one of the fastest ways to lose points, so always check the figure before you write anything else.

## inverted triad vs First inversion vs. second inversion

Both are inverted triads, but they're not interchangeable. First inversion (6) has the chordal third in the bass and is used freely as a substitute for root position. Second inversion (6/4) has the chordal fifth in the bass, which creates a dissonant fourth above the bass, so tonal music treats 6/4 chords as special, restricted cases rather than everyday chords. If you see a 6, relax. If you see a 6/4, the context matters.

## Key Takeaways

- An inverted triad is a triad whose bass note is the third or fifth of the chord instead of the root.
- First inversion means the third is in the bass and is figured 6; second inversion means the fifth is in the bass and is figured 6/4.
- Only the bass note determines inversion, so the arrangement of the upper voices doesn't matter at all.
- Arabic numeral figures describe intervals above the bass, which is why 6 means a sixth above the bass note, not 'six of something.'
- When you write an inverted triad in voice leading, you must spell all three chord members completely.
- Reading a figured bass means converting each bass note plus its figures into the Roman numeral harmony it implies (LO 3.3.B).

## FAQs

### What is an inverted triad in AP Music Theory?

It's a triad with a chord member other than the root in the bass. First inversion has the third in the bass (figured 6) and second inversion has the fifth in the bass (figured 6/4).

### Does the top note of a chord affect its inversion?

No. Inversion is determined entirely by the bass note. A C major triad with E in the bass is in first inversion no matter how the C and G are arranged above it.

### What's the difference between V6 and V6/4?

V6 is first inversion, with the chordal third in the bass, and V6/4 is second inversion, with the chordal fifth in the bass. The figures literally describe the intervals above the bass: a sixth and third for first inversion, a sixth and fourth for second inversion.

### Why is root position usually written without any figures?

By convention, the 5/3 figure for root position is assumed and left blank. If you see a Roman numeral with no Arabic numerals, the root is in the bass.

### Are inverted triads on the AP Music Theory exam?

Yes, heavily. You identify inversions by ear and in notation on multiple choice, and the 2025 free-response Questions 5 and 6 required handling inverted triads in figured bass and Roman numeral contexts.

## Related Study Guides

- [3.3 Chord Inversions and Figures: Introduction to Figured Bass](/ap-music-theory/unit-3/intro-figured-bass/study-guide/4QoPYIsEpxJDxJN6EHl5)

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