   in music theory, the root of a chord is the note on which a chord is built. for example, a three-note triad using c as a root would be c-e-g. conventionally, the name of the root note denotes the chord. thus, a major chord built upon c is called a c major chord. the root is often confused with the tonic, which is the reference note of a scale, rather than that of a chord. thumb|right|root position, first inversion, and second inversion c major chords , , or . chord roots (all the same) in red. while the theory of chordal roots describes bottom-up construction of chords, chords appearing in musical scores or performances will not always use the chordal root as the lowest pitch. when a chord's bass note is its root, the chord is said to be in root position or in normal form. when the root is not the lowest pitch played in a chord, it is said to be inverted. consequently, changing the configuration of pitches above a given bass note will typically result in a new note becoming the root. thumb|right|root position, first inversion, and second inversion chords over c bass , , or . chord roots in red. a major scale contains seven unique pitch classes, each of which might serve as the root of a chord: thumb|center|400px|root position triads from c major scalepalmer, manus, and lethco (1994). the complete book of scales, chords, arpeggios and cadences, p.6. isbn 0-7390-0368-2. "the root is the note from which the triad gets its name. the root of a c triad is c." . == identifying a chord's root == it is possible to recognize a chord's root using several different techniques. "when an inverted chord is written on the staff in musical notation, the root of the chord may be identified by rearranging the notes of the chord until they
Chord_factors Diatonic_functions Voicing_(music)