Major chords contain three different notes. These notes can be duplicated and/or played in a different shape. When the lowest note in each of these three chords is the root note, the chord is said to be in root position.When the third (3) is the lowest note of the chord shape, the chord is said to be in first inversion. When the fifth (5) is the lowest note of the chord shape, the chord is said to be in second inversion. The following example demonstrates the three inversions of a D Major chord played, which contains the notes D, F# and A. In this example, the chords are played as arpeggios (one note at a time).