Notes and intervals
Root
The root is the note a chord or scale is built on and named after: in a C major chord (C, E, G), C is the root and every other note is measured from it.
What is the root of a chord?
The root is the note a chord is built on and named after. A C major chord is spelled C, E, G, so its root is C. Am is spelled A, C, E, so its root is A.
Every other note is described by its interval above the root. A major triad stacks a major third (4 semitones) and a perfect fifth (7 semitones) on top of it. Once you know where the root is, you know where to look for the third and the fifth.
Scales have a root too: the root of G major is G, and every scale degree is counted from it.
How do you find the root on the guitar?
In open chords, the root is almost always the lowest note you play:
- C: 5th string, 3rd fret
- A and Am: open 5th string
- G: 6th string, 3rd fret
- E and Em: open 6th string
- D and Dm: open 4th string
For barre chords you only need two strings. With the E shape, the root sits on the 6th string: barre at the 3rd fret for G, 5th fret for A, 8th fret for C. With the A shape, it sits on the 5th string: 3rd fret for C, 5th fret for D, 7th fret for E. Learn the notes on the 6th and 5th strings up to the 12th fret and you can find every major and minor barre chord.
Each root also repeats an octave higher, two strings up and two frets over: G at the 3rd fret of the 6th string, G again at the 5th fret of the 4th string.
Is the root always the lowest note?
No. When another chord tone is in the bass, the chord is in inversion. To play C/E, hold an open C chord and let the open 6th string ring: the root is still C, but the bass note is E. Your ear still hears a C chord, just with a lighter footing.
Jazz players go further and use rootless voicings, leaving the root to the bass player. For C9, play only E (4th string, 2nd fret), B♭ (3rd string, 3rd fret) and D (2nd string, 3rd fret): the third, seventh and ninth. Over a C in the bass, the chord sounds complete.
Exercise: play the roots of a progression
Take C, G, Am, F (I-V-vi-IV in C major) and play only the roots, four quarter notes per chord:
- C: 5th string, 3rd fret
- G: 6th string, 3rd fret
- A: open 5th string (or 6th string, 5th fret)
- F: 6th string, 1st fret (or 4th string, 3rd fret)
Then add the fifth of each chord, two frets up on the next string: G (4th string, 5th fret) over C, D (5th string, 5th fret) over G, E (4th string, 2nd fret) over A, C (5th string, 3rd fret) over F. You now have a simple bass line that follows the changes.
To push further, show a scale in interval view in the guitar scales and chords tool and spot every root in one position before you play through it.
Key takeaways
- The root is the note that gives a chord or scale its name.
- Thirds, fifths and sevenths are always measured from the root.
- The notes on the 6th and 5th strings hold the roots of nearly every barre chord.
- The root does not have to be in the bass: inversions, slash chords and rootless voicings move it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the root and the tonic?
The root belongs to a chord, the tonic belongs to a key. In C major the tonic is C; the G chord has G as its root but is still the fifth degree of the key. A key has one tonic, and each chord has its own root.
How do I find the root of an unfamiliar chord?
Reorder the notes so they stack in thirds: the bottom note of that stack is the root. E, G, C becomes C, E, G, so it is a C chord in first inversion. You can also place the notes in the chord identifier, which names the chord and its inversion.
Do I always have to play the root?
On your own, almost always: without it a chord can change identity (E, G, B without C is Em, not Cmaj7). In a band, if the bass player covers the root, you can leave it out to thin the sound and focus on the third and seventh.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.