Learning how to play power chords on guitar is a useful addition to knowing how to play the basic guitar chords, particularly when practicing the electric guitar. The power chord is simpler than the standard chords, as fewer strings are involved.
What is a Power Chord?
A power chord is an abbreviated version of a full chord. By playing selected strings, often only two or three, from a chosen guitar chord, a stronger and tighter sound will result. Known as fifth chords, power chords are simpler to play than the usual chords on guitar, particularly barre chords. Power chords often consist of the root note (the string bearing the name of the chord) and an adjacent bass string.
Electric Guitar Power Chords
Many rock songs contain power chords, which can be identified by ear if guitar students listen to the differences between a power chord and the standard chord. The guitar teacher may instruct students to play the normal chord, followed by the power chord version and listen to the differences in sound, as well as the fretting technique.
The biggest advantage of playing power chords is that they are easier to play, since fewer strings need to be fretted and strummed. The guitarist is able to move quickly between chords within a song. This can be particularly useful when practicing guitar timing, as in rhythm guitar.
How to Play Power Chords
The guitar teacher may demonstrate how to play a power chord by example. The following guitar techniques will prove helpful to the students:
- When moving between power chords, move the whole hand, not just the fingers
- Regard the differences in fret widths on the fretboard, as those nearest the guitar nut are longer and become narrower further down. Adjusting the hand stretch accordingly will help obtain speedy power chord fretting and reduce mistakes
- Be mindful of strumming unwanted open strings. Only strum the ones being fretted, or the chord will lose its power sound
- If an electric guitar is not at hand, strumming the acoustic guitar with a plectrum will help amplify the sound
Guitar Power Chord Exercises
The following power chord exercise will help students get to grips with playing these simple guitar chords for the first time. Consider the base string as string 1, and the highest treble string as string 6.
- A major power chord, or A5: fret the third and fourth string at the second fret and strum only the three strings as shown on fig 1.
- C major power chord, or C5: fret the second string at the third fret and the third string at the second fret and strum only the strings shown on fig 2.
- E major power chord, or E5: fret the second and third strings at the second fret and strum the strings as shown on fig 3.
Guitar students may practice moving from one power chord to another. Practice will enable students to create chord transitions more quickly, which is required in many rock songs.
Guitar Lesson on How to Play Power Chords
Learning power chords is a useful addition to learning to play standard chords on guitar. The advantages of power chords are that they are simpler to play and allow students to move more quickly between chords. Many rock songs contain power chords, which have a tighter and punchier sound. This is obtained by fretting and strumming only two, or at the most, three strings on a standard guitar chord.
Rachel Shirley - I have written and illustrated several art instruction books entitled Oil Paintings from your Garden and Oil Paintings from the Landscape ...
