[ssrythm]

What are chord inversions?

[germfisk]

A standard C major chord is C E G, with C (the root) being the lowest note of the chord, followed by the E (third) and G (fifth) being the highest note. An inverted C major chord would be G C E with G being the lowest note, followed by C, then E. Or E G C, etc.

[strumminsix]

Another way to think of it is with a power chord.
You play the 1 and 5 --> ie for A you strum A then E.
When you play an inversion you strum E then A.

I see you play alot of Bob stuff, he also plays 1 thehn 3 types of chords for more moody jams. For the A example this would be A and C#.

[tigerstrat]

So another way to put it is it's the order in which the notes in a chord stack up: standard being (1,3,5),from bottom note to top note, with some other inversions being
(3,1,5)
(5,1,3)
(1,5,3)
(3,5,1)etc...

what you are doing to the sound of the chord is changing the intervals between the notes in the chord, or it's voicing: in a standard voicing of a major triad your two intervals would be (M3,m3), but with the sample inversions above you would have
(m6,P5)
(P4,M3)
(P5,m6)
(m3,P4)respectively