Major 7 Chord Inversions
A Root position chord means that the root of the chord is in the lowest voice [the bass]. In the following chord voicings, the 6th string is the lowest voice. A 1st inversion chord has the 3rd in the bass. A 2nd inversion chord has the 5th in the bass. A 3rd inversion chord has the 7th in the bass.
The R stands for root. The numbers are the other chord components: 3 = 3rd, 5 = 5th, 7 = 7th. The change in colors – black-white-black-white-black – means these are separate chords to be fingered. The inactive strings are muted. The 7 with a strikethrough on the left is one possible chord symbol for a Major 7 type chord.
A Major 7 chord is a Major triad with a Major 7 added. It’s numerical chromatic scheme is 0-4-7-11. In common theory, this means R-3-5-7.
What is fascinating to see is that as chords invert on the same set of strings, up the fretboard, there is a cycle. The cycle is R moves to 3, 3 moves to 5, 5 moves to 7, 7 moves to the R.
Check that this is the case on all of the strings. Triads also work this way.
The grid is for GMaj7 (another way to write a Major 7 type chord), but the shapes apply to all 12 tones.