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Power chords
Written by Fenderbender  |  Monday, 06 July 2009 17:12  |  Add Comment (0) PDF Print E-mail
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Hi fellow pickers. I thought I might post some info regarding Power Chords, really "chord" is an incorrect term in this instance as only two notes are effectively played . This is due to the root note being repeated.

Incidentally, in the examples given later if you only want to play the root and the 5th that's fine.

If you remember this next piece of info Power Chords will be a breeze for you to work out...

Power Chords Built on the root note i.e C if a chord D if a D chords etc.
with the 5th of the scale added and the root (Note can be added for more umph.!) Power Chord then basic !st and 5th Degree's os the scale .

I will give you some power chords all with their root on the 6th (Bass) string.

Power Chords are written as so E5 A5 G5 etc....the structure of the chord will make it plain why... So lets take G5 as an example.

With your first finger on the E string at the 3rd fret you have the note "G" so we need to add the 5th of the scale of "G" G A B C D so we add a "D" this is found on the 5th string at the 5th fret and the same fret on the 4th string is G so you have the root note "G" and the 5th D and a repeat of G.

This pattern is moveable and on whatever fret your first finger is on is the chord name e.g 1st fret "F5" 3rd G5 5th A5 7th B5 and so on. I will post some more info on other patterns later. with power chords with the root on the 5th string and some open ones.

Of course only the fretted notes are played.

I will see if I can get a couple of illustrations down to size to add as well on the next page.

Fenderbender.


Hi Folks, Just to re-iterate Power Chords have just 2 notes the "Root" and the 5th of the scale.

Using the 6th (Bass) string for your root note say you choose the 3rd fret then that's "G" a 5th from here in G is "D" so if you play the root note on the sixth string the next note will always be two frets down on the 5th fret "A" string giving you the note "D" so you have G5 or a G power chord.
 
Note this power chord is an "open" power chord, see if you can work out what it is...find out the first note and that will be the name of the chord and the other note will be a 5th in that scale.

Other power chords that start on the 5th string, the pattern remains the same as that on the 6th string and whatever note you fret on the 5th string is the name of the power chord, dont forget to add the 5th two frets down on the 4th string. A lot of this info would be easier if the site had enough upload space but it is of course limited. I may build a web site so I can place pictorial lessons on. I would also have to see if that met with admins approval first of course. Before citing it here.

For those of you who can use the Barre these chords are even easier from my point of view. For instance a GMinor Barre chord has the same notes as the G5 providing you just strum the first 2 or 3 strings depending on wether you include the 3rd note a repeat of the root note.

Here are the notes on the 6th string. the number will equal the fret and what note is present at that fret.

6th String notes:

1=F 2=F#Gb 3= G 4= G# Ab 5= A 6= A# Bb 7= B 8= C 9=C# Db

10= D 11= D# Eb 12= E

5th String Notes:

1= A# Bb 2= B 3= C 4=C# Db 5= D 6=D# Eb 7= E 8= F 9=F#Gb

10=G 11= G# Ab 12= A

If there is anything that I have not made clear or you dont understand dont hesitate to post

Fenderbender

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