Power Chords
Power chords are the foundation of metal and rock music. They sound powerful and yet they are simple to play. Power chords are really “5” chords. A “5” chord is composed of the root note and the 5th note and that is it.
When power chords are written in sheet music or tab they are shown as E5, A5, and B5, but when talking to fellow guitarists you can just call it a power chord rather than a 5th chord.
There are different types of power chords; a two string power chord that is often used in heavy metal and the three string power chord used in rock and other types of music. As you play these concentrate more on the accuracy of the chord rather than the speed. Speed will come in time.
Two String Power Chord
The simplest power chords contain only two notes. They are based on the E, A, and D. I’ve included an image below of some examples. The bass note is the root note, the other note you’re playing with your ring finger is the 5th note.
In Example 1 Below, play the power chords in order. I’ve only put in the whole note power chords. E, F, G, A on the E String and A, B, C, D on the A string.
Three String Power Chord
The three string power chord is an extension of the two string power chord. We are hitting the octave of the root note. It really adds a thicker more powerful sound to the chord. See the example below.
Just as in example 1, but we are playing the exercise with three note power chords.
Power Chord Exercises
In the example below I’ve created a few exercises to get you more comfortable with power chords. As you play these concentrate more on the accuracy of the chord rather than the speed. Speed will come in time. Play the chords carefully and make sure you are not creating any fret buzz.
Example 3 is a simple pattern where you cross strings; first playing a power chord on the E string and then moving over to the A string and then back. Example 3 is using two note power chords.
In Example 4 we are using the same simple patters as example 3 but with the 3 note power chords.
Example 5 again uses the pattern used in Example 1 and 2 but we are mixing up the two string and three string power chords. In this example you should really be able to hear the difference between the two types and how having that extra octave really makes a difference in the chord.
For extra practice work, create your own patterns and work on being able to play each chord accurately without buzzing. Once you’re able to do this then you can work on playing faster. I highly recommend playing with a metronome. If you do; be sure to gradually increase your speed.
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Download PDF - Open Chords Part 1
Download Word Doc - Open Chords Part 1