Understanding the Voicing Dial: A Beginner's Guide to InversionsUpdated 9 hours ago

The Voicing Dial is a tool for adding harmonic variety by changing the inversion of a chord. While it can feel "magical" or random at first, it follows a consistent logic.

• What it Does: In simple terms, turning the Voicing Dial rearranges the notes of the chord you are playing. It primarily works by taking the lowest note of the current chord and moving it up an octave, or taking the highest note and moving it down an octave.

• What is an Inversion? An inversion is the same chord, just with the notes stacked in a different order. For a C Major triad (C-E-G):

  • Root Position: C-E-G

  • 1st Inversion: E-G-C

  • 2nd Inversion: G-C-E

• How it Works on Orchid: The Voicing Dial cycles through these inversions. However, the starting point isn't always "01" and the number of "clicks" between each inversion changes depending on the root note. This is intentional and designed to encourage exploration and happy accidents.

• Tip: Use the Geek Out view mode (Options > View) to see the exact notes being played as you turn the dial.