Power Chords on Acoustic

Hi Folks:

Question for Lisa McCormick and others with more experience than me.

Is it ok to play power chords using index finger and ring finger only, with ring finger activating notes 5 and octave? having trouble using ring and pinky for 5th degree and octave. Thanks.

Hey the answer to this question is whatever you want to do is ok. Playing guitar is a perfect example of you get out of it what you put into it. I know from experience that the pinkie is weak but like everything it can be strengthened in a relatively short period of time.

Do the spider exercises with all 4 fingers up and down the fretboard and you will soon find out you can play that Power chord with all the fingers in the best place. Its a boring drill but I think the single best drill for strengthening and improving accuracy.

Playing the chord the way you suggest is not wrong its just not right.

Originally Posted by: jeffreycassadyHi Folks:

Question for Lisa McCormick and others with more experience than me.

Is it ok to play power chords using index finger and ring finger only, with ring finger activating notes 5 and octave? having trouble using ring and pinky for 5th degree and octave. Thanks.

My honest opinion is that it's better to engage your pinky. There's no "right" answer, but I would advise pushing yourself to get your pinky finger to fall into line.

What I eventually ended up doing was playing power chords with my pinky finger playing the 5th degree instead of the octave.

Just my opinion, but I would advise leaving your index finger free for other notes.