Power Chords

Power chords are really in a classical sense not chords at all but are rather just 2 notes with an interval of a 5th (although there are sometimes other power chords this is the most common and when someone refers to a power chord that is what they are referring to). As an example in the key of C the power chord would be C and G (G is the 5th of C – C D E F G - count up to see). Power chords are very common in rock, blues and country, some authors say that they are used in jazz but only modern fusion and most jazz players would not consider it jazz to play a power chord (I am included). There is no 3rd degree in the power chord so there is no sense of major or minor. It is almost like much of Indian music in a drone going on. This allows the soloist to play almost anything related to the root of the chord. Minor type scales are mainly used but major and 7th scales can be used just as effectively. They work very well with distortion where a full chord would not work as well as it would sound muddy. But a power chord won’t be muddy. There are a number of reasons why this is so but the main one is that the overtones of just the root and the 5th are similar so that the sound is very open. In fact the 2nd overtone of the root is the 5th up 2 octaves. Learning these is just one step. You still need to know the chords that are related to this the major, minor and 7th chords.

Here is a basic E form of the power chord (in this case anF power chord at the first fret) Root is on the 6th string

Fret 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E

Memorize this so that you can do it at any fret. Practice through the circle of 5ths.

5th root power cord (A form of Caged) Below is Bb.

Fret 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Bb/A# B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A

Memorize this so that you can do it at any fret. Practice through the circle of 5ths.

For most positions you will mute the other strings but if you play the above at the 7th fret you will see that the notes are E and B which means that the 6th string and 1st string open are E’s and the 2nd string open is a B so you can play all of the strings. Listen to Rockin’ In The Free World for an example of this.

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Using open strings with power chords

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Power Chords

This is a G power chord. The root is on the 6th string 3rd fret and the 5th string 5th fret. Be sure to think of them that way. These can be used for any major, minor or 7th type chord. Do not hit the other strings!!

Learn the notes on each of the strings!! Learn the positions so that you can spot any note on the guitar.

This slide shows the notes on the 6th string, which is also the same notes on the 1st string. Memorize these ASAP!!!

E

FF#,Gb

G

G#, Ab

A

A#,Bb

B

CC#,Db

D

D#,EbE

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Power ChordsF F# or Gb G G# or Ab

AA# or Bb B C

C# or Db

D D# or Eb E

Here are the 6th root power chords. Take your time and memorize them. These can be used against all Major, Minor and Dominant (7th) chords. Will not work on augmented or diminished chords but since those are rarely used in rock and popular music it isn’t much of an issue.These power chords only have 2 different notes to them the root and the 5th note of the scale.

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Power ChordsA# or Bb B C C# or Db

DD# or Eb E F

F# or Gb

G G# or Ab A

This is the 2nd set with the 5th string root chords.Between the 2 sets you now should know all the notes on the 6th and 5th strings. This also gives you the notes on the 3rd string as the note you play on the 3rd string is the same as the name of the note on the 5th string. By now you should be getting where the notes are on the 6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd strings and since the 6th and 1st strings have the same name you also have the notes on the first string.

Let’s try a song using just power chords!!

For this song we will play just F, Bb, and C power chords. F is at the 1st fret, Bb at the 6th fret and C is at the 8th fret.

4/4||: F | | Bb | | C | | Bb | : ||

Now twice as fast.

4/4||: F | Bb | C | Bb : ||

This could be a song such as The Joker.

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Power Chords

Here are the notes on the 4th string. Use this to really learn the notes and visualize that there are 2 roots to these power chords! This is very important.

Your goal for next week is to learn the names of the notes on the 1st, 4th and 6th strings. That will put you about ½ way through learning the notes. I don’t expect them to be just at your fingertips but that you can figure them out.

E

F

F#,Gb

G

G#, Ab

A

A#,Bb

B

C

C#,Db

D

D#,Eb

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