Ok, I'm feeling dumb over here....

Alright, I am starting to feel kinda dumb over here but I am going to ask...
What exactly is a "power chord". Plz keep in mind I have a classical background. I have read some of the threads and searched out what they are on the site and so far all I have seen is mention of them or if you use your pinky or not while playing etc... I'm wondering is it a type of bar shape or what I call "cheater chords" (partial bars)??? And is it a movable thing? Perhaps it's a type of chord I already play and call it something different...
Anyways, thanxs :o

The easy, non-theory explanation is it's the first few strings of a barre chord.
You only play the first few strings cause it sounds good on overdrive through an amp.
Like, hold a D barre chord and just play the 5th and 4th strings. (and possibly the third string as well ... depends on the song.) .. or just about any barre chord for that matter.
It also includes some open chords like E, A, G, D ... occasionally an open F but rarely an open C.
Each barre or open chord has it's individual reason for being a good power chord....again depending on the song.
An open E power chord is great cause it's got lots of bass and feeds back really well. An open A is easy to play with one finger and you can do some easy pull off leads to open strings. An open G, you can mute the 6th, and 5th strings (just playing strings 4, 3 and possibly 2) and then do harmonics on the 5th or 12th frets to get some good feedback harmonics.

Most beginner rock guys learn that it's easiest to learn most of your scales & riffs mainly in E and A cause there's lots of songs composed in those keys. You can learn all your leads on the 5th and 12th frets for a few months and then just transpose them to the other keys when you get used to playing them.

The basic secret to a power chord though is playing the first coupla strings of any barre chord so it sounds good through an amp. You can back up the root of any minor chords the keyboard player is holding down.

[font=trebuchet ms]Another thing to keep in mind is that a power chord usually has the same note sounding on several strings, which makes it sound full. A 'blatant' example - fret the A string on the 7th fret, and the D & G strings on the 9th fret. Double everything! And this shape is very moveable, though you need to mute the low E sometimes, and selectively pick the rest.

I picture a wide-eyed grin the first time you try that through a cranked amp![/font] :D

Since you are a classical based guitarist, i will assume you know a bit about music theory:


Basically it is the tonic and the 5th plus the supertonic

For example a C power chord (C5th) will be C G C


or look like this

E-------------
B-------------
G---5---------
D---5---------
A---3---------
E--------------

They are moveable.

E---------
B---------
G---------
D---3-----
A---3-----
E---1-----

That is the F power chord. Those two shapes are generally used for the power chord shape.

this might help

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=8080&s_id=70&prev_id=8079

Thanx Guys... I understand now :D *takes the dunce cap off*

Once you learn pwrchrds, making rock songs would be a sinch

The actual name for power chords are called 'double stops'...the only difference is that a double stop could be any two strings played together...

I'm so smart!!!

Originally Posted by: chucklivesoninmyheartThe actual name for power chords are called 'double stops'...the only difference is that a double stop could be any two strings played together...

[font=trebuchet ms]Uhh, not quite...

A double-stop can be a power chord, but, as you can see from the tabs posted previously, power chords usually involve 3 strings, or even 4.[/font]

Well, that's a new one to me.
I've never heard of double stops being refered to as power chords before.
They're more of a country music style of playing done on the higher strings.

yer you are just playing a 4th instead of a 5th with the two string variety

Originally Posted by: Lordathestrings[font=trebuchet ms]Another thing to keep in mind is that a power chord usually has the same note sounding on several strings, which makes it sound full. A 'blatant' example - fret the A string on the 7th fret, and the D & G strings on the 9th fret. Double everything! And this shape is very moveable, though you need to mute the low E sometimes, and selectively pick the rest.

I picture a wide-eyed grin the first time you try that through a cranked amp![/font] :D

Without a doubt- I still smirk when I get to cut loose with some ultra fast punk rock "chugga-chugga" syncopation, especially with a lot of drive behind it! :cool:

Originally Posted by: chucklivesoninmyheartThe actual name for power chords are called 'double stops'...the only difference is that a double stop could be any two strings played together...

I'm so smart!!!

I can understand why you think that cause you probually play your powerchords this way:

-------------------
-------------------
-------------------
-------------------
-5--9---7------ect---
-3--7---5------ect----

this is how I also play my PChords, but double stops are playes with a snap to them by muting how the strings immediatly after you strike them. Technically and by definition, power chords can be double stops, but they are not really them.

Kinda like the analogy of humans being animals.

Yeah the easiest way to explain powerchords is that they are the root note and its fifth, and if you want to play three strings i believe the next one is the root note up and octave or somthing to that effect.

Originally Posted by: rockonmanYeah the easiest way to explain powerchords is that they are the root note and its fifth, and if you want to play three strings i believe the next one is the root note up and octave or somthing to that effect.

That's correct. Root, 5th, and an Octave up

so like A5: would be


7 - A
7 - E
5 - A

Double stops have to be power chords!I read it in a book!