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Root Position (5/3): The Chord Standing on Its Own Name
A chord is in root position when its root, the note that names it, is the lowest note. C E G with C at the bottom is C major in root position. In figured bass that is 5/3, though most books write nothing at all.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
How to spot it in two seconds
- On the staff: three notes all on lines or all in spaces, stacked like a snowman.
- On the keys: skip one white key between each note (C, skip D, E, skip F, G).
- By name: the lowest note has the same letter as the chord.
Where 5/3 comes from
From the bass C, E is a 3rd above and G a 5th above. Write those two intervals and you get 5/3. Because it is the most common position, composers leave the numbers out: a Roman numeral with no figure, like I or V, means root position.
Root Position (5/3): The Chord Standing on Its Own Name
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps.
Play the demoWhy it sounds finished
The root in the bass makes the chord sound grounded. That is why pieces end on a root position tonic, and why a V in root position going to I in root position is the strongest ending in tonal music. Inversions, by contrast, sound like they are still moving.
Root position on purpose, not by habit
Many beginners play every chord in root position and the hand jumps all over the keyboard. Use it at the start and end of a phrase, and inversions in between. ChordRunner accepts both: the chord is right whatever note you put at the bottom, so you can practise smooth hand movement while the game checks every note.
The levels in ChordRunner
- Beginner: major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.
- Intermediate: adds sus2 and sus4.
- Advanced: adds 6th, 7th and 9th chords.
- Pro: adds 11th, 13th and altered chords; an adaptive mode adds the next family when you are ready.
Common questions
What is a root position chord?
A chord whose lowest note is its root. C major in root position is C E G with C at the bottom; G7 in root position is G B D F with G at the bottom.
What does 5/3 mean in music theory?
It means a 5th and a 3rd above the bass: the figure of a root position triad. It is normally not written, so a Roman numeral alone means root position.
Is root position the same as close position?
No. Root position is about which note is lowest. Close position is about spacing: all notes within one octave. A chord can be in root position and open spacing at the same time.
Which instruments work?
A USB MIDI keyboard, detected automatically, or a piano or guitar through the microphone. Everything runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, tablet or phone.
How is this different from apps where you tap the screen?
Tapping trains your eyes and fingers on glass. Here you press real keys or fret real strings, and the game hears the actual notes, so what you practise is exactly what you will play on your instrument.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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