Guitar power chords are used extensively in all forms of rock music.
They consist only of the 1, 5 and possibly another 1 an octave higher.
Power chords are in fact the 2 or 3 bottom strings of guitar bar chords, but they are much easier to play compared to bar chords.
Most of the time power chords are used with distortion.
Let's start with 2 note power chords with the root on the E string:
This chord is an E power chord or E5. The 2 note power chord uses only the root and the fifth (E and B in this case).
Play only the 2 lowest strings and use only down strokes (strum the strings with your right hand going down from the fat E).
If we slide this power chord 1 fret further, like we did with the bar chords, we get an F power chord:
If we go 2 frets further from here we get a G power chord:
I think you got the picture by now. Here's the guitar neck with all the notes from the E string:
Besides 2 note guitar power chords there are also 3 note power chords. They use the root, fifth and again the root but one octave higher and they look like this:
The same principle as with bar chords and 2 note power chords goes for 3 note power chords: slide it up the neck to get other chords.
If we slide 1 fret further we get an F power chord:
And this goes on, look at the guitar neck above for reference.
There's an alternative way to fret 3 note power chords: instead of using finger 3 and 4, use your little finger to fret 2 strings at once.
This example is an F power chord fretted in the alternative way:
Let's have a look at 2 note power chords with the root on the A string:
Play only strings 4 and 5, don't play the low E and other open strings.
We can slide this up 2 frets, what gives us a B power chord:
One fret further gives us a C power chord:
There are also 3 note power chord with the root on A:
Slide this up and we have a B:
And ...
Here's the guitar neck with all the notes of the A string for easy reference:
That was it, now plug in you axe, turn on the distortion, turn that volume up and start banging those guitar power chords!
Most of the time power chords are used with distortion.
Let's start with 2 note power chords with the root on the E string:
This chord is an E power chord or E5. The 2 note power chord uses only the root and the fifth (E and B in this case).
Play only the 2 lowest strings and use only down strokes (strum the strings with your right hand going down from the fat E).
If we slide this power chord 1 fret further, like we did with the bar chords, we get an F power chord:
If we go 2 frets further from here we get a G power chord:
I think you got the picture by now. Here's the guitar neck with all the notes from the E string:
Besides 2 note guitar power chords there are also 3 note power chords. They use the root, fifth and again the root but one octave higher and they look like this:
The same principle as with bar chords and 2 note power chords goes for 3 note power chords: slide it up the neck to get other chords.
If we slide 1 fret further we get an F power chord:
And this goes on, look at the guitar neck above for reference.
There's an alternative way to fret 3 note power chords: instead of using finger 3 and 4, use your little finger to fret 2 strings at once.
This example is an F power chord fretted in the alternative way:
Let's have a look at 2 note power chords with the root on the A string:
Play only strings 4 and 5, don't play the low E and other open strings.
We can slide this up 2 frets, what gives us a B power chord:
One fret further gives us a C power chord:
There are also 3 note power chord with the root on A:
Slide this up and we have a B:
And ...
Here's the guitar neck with all the notes of the A string for easy reference:
That was it, now plug in you axe, turn on the distortion, turn that volume up and start banging those guitar power chords!
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