Power chords also have the added advantage of being relatively easy to play (see " Fingering" below), allowing fast chord changes and easy incorporation into melodies and riffs. Įven when played without distortion, the simple ratios between the harmonics in the notes of a power chord can give a stark and powerful sound. With large amounts of distortion, the fundamental can appear to be an octave lower than the root note of the chord played without distortion, again giving a more bassy and powerful sound. Additionally, the spectrum of the sound is expanded in both directions, producing a richer, more subjectively 'powerful' sound than the undistorted signal. When played through distortion, this leads to the production of harmonics closely related in frequency to the original two notes, producing a more coherent sound. However, in a power chord, the ratio between the frequencies of the root and fifth is extremely close to 3:2 (see interval). When a normal chord (for example, a major or minor chord) consisting of three or more different degrees of the scale is played through distortion, the number of different frequencies generated, and the complex ratios between them, can cause the resulting sound to be messy and indistinct. Place your 2nd finger on the 4th string/2nd fret.When two or more notes are played through a distortion process which non-linearly transforms the audio signal, additional harmonics are generated at the sums and differences of the frequencies of the harmonics of those notes.Place your 1st finger on the 5th string/2nd fret.Come back to the top of the guitar neck for this one: E5 Power Chordįor the last of our power chords, we'll be sticking to two fingers. Once your knowledge of the fretboard increases, you'll be able to find combinations like this for different power chords in different areas all around your guitar. The similarity, though, is the fact that they all contain but two notes: "C" and "G." Place your 3rd finger on the 1st string/8th fretĪs you can see, these variations differ in their placement on the fretboard.Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd string/8th fret.Place your 1st finger on the 6th string/8th fret.Place your 4th finger on the 6th string/8th fret.Place your 1st finger on the 4th string/5th fret.Place your 4th finger on the 1st string/3rd fret.Place your 3rd finger on the 5th string/3rd fret.Place your 1st finger on the 2nd string/1st fret.Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd string/5th fret.Place your 2nd finger on the 1st string/3rd fret.Place your 1st finger on the 5th string/3rd fret.Let's go back to the C5 chord for example's sake. With proper knowledge of the fretboard and note positions, a whole new world of combinations becomes open to you. Remember, all you need is your root note and your fifth. See how you can move that same basic shape to different locations to produce new power chords? That simplicity is part of the power chord's beauty, but it's not the only way you can choose to form such chords. Place your 4th finger on the 3rd string/7th fret.Place your 3rd finger on the 4th string/7th fret.Place your 1st finger on the 5th string/5th fret.Place your 4th finger on the 4th string/5th fret.Place your 3rd finger on the 5th string/5th fret.Place your 1st finger on the 6th string/3rd fret.Place your 4th finger on the 4th string/7th fret.Place your 3rd finger on the 5th string/7th fret.Place your 1st finger on the 6th string/5th fret.How to Play Guitar Power Chords A5 Power Chord: You can switch between these two styles of playing your C power chord, and even move this shape around the fretboard to form other power chords. Your chord sounds stronger now, because you've taken the root note and doubled it. Keep your fingers in that original C5 position, but add your fourth finger to the 3rd string/5th fret. It will get the job done in situations that require a power chord, but try this next. As we mentioned earlier, it has the "C" sound, but doesn't swing major or minor. Hear that? It's a C power chord at its most basic. Play these two strings, and mute all the others. Now, we'll need our fifth, "G." You can find this on 4th string/5th fret. You'd start by placing your first finger on the root note, "C." Head to the 5th string/3rd fret for this one. Let's say you want to play a C power chord - the C5 chord. We'll start, though, by diving into the most common variation. There are plenty of ways to play them all. On charts, you might see these written up as "5" chords: C5, A5, G5, etc.