Help What is this

----C---------------A 3rd fret
----G-------------- E 3rd fret played together is it a chord??

No it is not a chord, it is an interval of a 4th. Power chords aren't chords either, they are 5th intervals.

Originally Posted by: Julian VickersNo it is not a chord, it is an interval of a 4th. Power chords aren't chords either, they are 5th intervals.

Thanks Julian, We are using some in a song. Hell I didnt know what it was called! Thanks again.

I have heard some people call two note chords diads...

yep - diad is the correct term... but you don't hear it very often....

Cool Thanks

Originally Posted by: Julian VickersPower chords aren't chords either, they are 5th intervals.

The term power chord needs to be removed from the musical language. Not too long from now, or probably as we speak, there are bundles of people walking around thinking that you can have a chord with 2 notes. :eek:

Originally Posted by: WeslabaThe term power chord needs to be removed from the musical language. Not too long from now, or probably as we speak, there are bundles of people walking around thinking that you can have a chord with 2 notes. :eek:

>I< blame punk rock for that! But thats just me. I blame everything on punk rock.

An easy target. Although they use them the most, even AC/DC stuff was loaded w/ "power chords." But... I'm still w/ you on this. I too always blame punk rock. Its just like an oxy-moron though. A chord w/ 2 notes. And the word power is so overrated these days. They're not even that powerful! :D

Originally Posted by: renyep - diad is the correct term... but you don't hear it very often....

Diad eh? Must remember that one. I'm not so hot on the names of stuff, my Jazz theory teacher in particular doesn't tell us names for too many things. I remember the term 'Neopolitan Chord' came up recently in these forums and it puzzled me until I looked it up and found it was just another name for something we've studied in jazz theory.

Originally Posted by: DAMAGED ONE----C---------------A 3rd fret
----G-------------- E 3rd fret played together is it a chord??

This Topic keeps resurfacing. It's a Diad as mentioned, also referred to as a power chord inversion.
When you focus on the two notes played above, this incorporates the sound of a C power chord in the 1st inversion. G is the perfect 5th interval of C. When played as melodic intervals(Together), the tonic pitch will resolve to C, not G, because the perfect 5th supercedes the perfect 4th with tonal value. This is prevalent all over the neck when a diad is improvised through a progression, common in shortcuts with certain Rock Riffs. Example:
e--------------------
B--------------------
G----------------9--- (E note)
D----------------9--- (B note)
A--------------------
E--------------------

The Tonic will resolve to E, although this type of diad will not contain a Major or minor dominance because of the absent 3rd note, Hence the Power Chord and a common shortcut in some Rock music.

Originally Posted by: dvenetianThis Topic keeps resurfacing. It's a Diad as mentioned, also referred to as a power chord inversion.
When you focus on the two notes played above, this incorporates the sound of a C power chord in the 1st inversion. G is the perfect 5th interval of C. When played as melodic intervals(Together), the tonic pitch will resolve to C, not G, because the perfect 5th supercedes the perfect 4th with tonal value. This is prevalent all over the neck when a diad is improvised through a progression, common in shortcuts with certain Rock Riffs. Example:
e--------------------
B--------------------
G----------------9--- (E note)
D----------------9--- (B note)
A--------------------
E--------------------

The Tonic will resolve to E, although this type of diad will not contain a Major or minor dominance because of the absent 3rd note, Hence the Power Chord and a common shortcut in some Rock music.

Cool Im playin Bass on The song in question so in My example C is the Root (Right) :cool:

Originally Posted by: DAMAGED ONECool Im playin Bass on The song in question so in My example C is the Root (Right) :cool:

You got it Bro.................

Power chords have two different notes - the first and the fifth
But you play: the first, the fifth, and the first an octave higher - 3 notes

Originally Posted by: GramboBut you play: the first, the fifth, and the first an octave higher - 3 notes

Yes, 3 notes.....two of them being the same.

Originally Posted by: WeslabaYes, 3 notes.....two of them being the same.

Yep, exactly:

A5 - A, E , A

E5 - E, B , E

It's quartal harmony.
Major 4th interval

Hey there - now I'm really confused -

I thought that "power chords" were the first and the fifth NOTE of a scale - not separated by 5 semitones, so for example 5th string 3rd fret (C), and 4th string 5th fret (G), and if you were going to go REALLY mad and make it a three note chord you could put in the octave of the first note - 3rd string 5th fret (C again).

If you are only using two notes is it still a DIAD - meaning two notes, rather than TRIAD meaning three notes?


Help.

Originally Posted by: Geoff WalkerHey there - now I'm really confused -
I thought that "power chords" were the first and the fifth NOTE of a scale - not separated by 5 semitones, so for example 5th string 3rd fret (C), and 4th string 5th fret (G), and if you were going to go REALLY mad and make it a three note chord you could put in the octave of the first note - 3rd string 5th fret (C again).
If you are only using two notes is it still a DIAD - meaning two notes, rather than TRIAD meaning three notes.
Help.

Maybe this will clear things up. It was somewhat confusing by how it is worded. (Power Chord = 3 notes, A-E-A) In reality there are only 2 notes being used; A and E (This is a Diad). Always remember that any scale is a division of the Octive into smaller Intervals by various degrees. The maximum division of Intervals that will fit from any given note to it's Octive is 12.
Any two pitches--played simultaneous or consecutively ---constitute an Interval that can be identified by either of two methods; Tonal Context -----
Which is what you used above referring to the first and fifth intervals in Scale degrees from the Root (it's my preferred choice to use as well) and the other is by Pitch Class set which is used to measure the interval in semitones by count. I believe the Pitch Class method will be much easier to explain the theory behind what's going on here.
Many players memorize Whole-step, half-step (Or Whatever) patterns to form scales, but never grasp the function in Tonal context that the intervals create for the relationship with the notes.
Let's create a Diatonic scale (a 7 note scale). We'll use the "A" Major scale since "A" is Tonic for the Diad above .

6thxx|--|--|--|--|-A-|--|-B-|--|-C#|-D-|--|-E-|--|-F#|--|-G#|-a-|

If this were on the 6th string, ( 6thxx| = Open E) would be the Nut and A would rest between the 4th and 5th frets.
It's important to realize that scales form in both directions from the Tonic (A) but the interval sequence switches it's players around (So to speak) so that their relationship remains the same with the Tonic.
We know that E is the 5th interval (Dominant) of A. If we count in sequence From A to E by semitones, it equals 7 intervals. Now if we count again from A going in the opposite direction using 7 semitones, it doesn't work. We end up on D, which is the 4th interval (Sub-Dominant) of A.. Why??? Because 7 forward and 7 backward = 14 intervals and the Max is 12. If we count back 5 semitones from A, we end up on the open E and that works because 7+5=12.
Now for that problem created counting back 7 intervals and ending up on D.
If we count up from A to D by semitones, it equals 5 intervals and we're equal again to 12 (5 up and 7 back). So the intervals created to make the Perfect 4th up from the Tonic become the intervals needed to create the Perfect 5th down from the Tonic and vise-versa.
The Original Post displays a tab with a Diad using the notes 6th string, 3rd fret (G) and 5th string, 3rd fret (C) being played together, asking "What is this"??? Well, C is 5 semitones up from G which makes C the Perfect 4th interval of G. What if we count back 5 semitones from a note like we did from A? We found the 5th (E). So if we count back 5 from C, we find it's 5th (G). If we count up 7 from C, yep it's G, the 5th of C which makes C the Tonic, so the tab creates a C Diad in tonality and even though the G is lower in tone, it belongs to C.
Count back 5 semitones from D in the A Major scale above. Yep, A is the 5th of D. Now count up 7 semitones from D, A again and it equals 12.....
If you play the open low E and the open A string together, A wins, you can even throw in the e Octive if you'd like (4th string, 2nd fret) still an A. You guessed it, A is the Perfect 4th of E. It's all in the intervals.
I probably confused things beyond belief.
Hope it helps...........................

Originally Posted by: dvenetianMaybe this will clear things up.....
I probably confused things beyond belief.
Hope it helps...........................

OMG. I think you are over complicating things there.
It’s so simple…Power chords are just perfect intervals. And Perfect Intervals are consonant regardless their position.
Inverting a P5 results in a P4. Like in the case of a C power chord:
C-G=P5
If you invert it you get
G-C=P4

Those are Perfect Intervals, and they are consonant, and for that reason they sound good even if you saturate them with distortion.

By the process known as “Doubling Chord Tones” you can create different voicings.


e-------------------------------------------8---------15-------- etc
B-------------------------------------------8---------13--------
G---------------------------------12----------------------------
D--------------10------10--------10----------------------------
A-----10-------10------10--------10----------------------------
E------8-----------------8---------8----------------------------


I am not trying to put you down bro, just keeping things simple.