

For example, many people will barre the two higher notes using their ring finger. I’ve indicated to play the chords using your first, third and fourth fingers but it’s also perfectly acceptable to use different fingerings – experiment and find out what works best for you. However you can easily change these into 2 note chords by simply removing either the highest or the lowest note, depending on the sound you are after. In the charts on this page we will use the more common 3 note power chord. The two note uses the root and the fifth, whereas the 3 note uses the root, the fifth, and in addition, the root octave. There are two common power chord shapes – the 2 note and the 3 note variation. Power ChordĪnd so on, and so forth… Pretty simple, right? Here are a few examples of how a left handed power chord is made up. Power chords are also known as fifth chords, and this is how you should name the chords when noting them down. For example a G power chord would be written as G5. They’re called fifths because they consist of the root note and the fifth note of the major scale. And likewise, if you played an A power chord over an A Minor chord, it will still sound like A Minor. As a result, you can play them over both major and minor chord progressions! So If you played an A power chord over an A Major chord, it will still sound like A Major. Why Do Power Chords Sound So Good?Ī key feature of power chords is that they are neither major nor minor (because the third interval is missing). They are usually played on amplified guitars with overdrive or distortion applied for a powerful sound. Power Chords are really simple chords that are used in most styles of music, but particularly in heavy rock, punk and metal.

Power chords are brilliant because you only really need to learn one shape that you can then move around the fretboard to make other chords. Movable vs.Trying to figure out left handed power chords? Let’s get you sorted! I will give you a quick overview of the most common ways to play them. You can play power chords in many different positions on the guitar.

Let me answer the most basic questions surrounding power chords so you can get started on your way to master them! What are power chords on the guitar? What are power chords? Are they hard to play? And what are they most commonly for?
