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Lesson 9 of 11 · 10 min · Power chords

Power chords for beginners

Two or three fingers, one shape, and the sound of rock and punk guitar. Learn the power chord on the low E string and on the A string, how to find any of them from its name, and how to keep the other strings quiet, then play five power chords in the exercise.

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What a power chord is

A power chord has only two different notes: the root and the fifth, seven half steps above it, usually with the root doubled an octave higher. There is no third, the note that makes a chord major or minor, so a power chord is neither: it is just solid. That is why it is written with a 5: G5 is G and D, C5 is C and G.

With only two notes, power chords stay clear even through a lot of distortion, where a full chord turns into mush. Punk, hard rock, grunge and metal are built on them. And because the shape never changes, you can play any of them as soon as you know one.

Shape 1: the root on the low E string

E5 chord: E string open, A string fret 2, D string fret 2, G string not played, B string not played, E string not played12EBEE5
G5 chord: E string fret 3, A string fret 5, D string fret 5, G string not played, B string not played, E string not played134GDGG5
A5 chord: E string fret 5, A string fret 7, D string fret 7, G string not played, B string not played, E string not played5fr134AEAA5
The same shape at three places: open, at fret 3 and at fret 5. The lowest note is the name of the chord.

Put your index finger on the low E string at the fret of the root, your ring finger two frets higher on the A string, and your little finger on the same fret on the D string. Strum only those three strings. At fret 3 the root is G, so this is G5; slide the whole shape up to fret 5 and it is A5. With the open low E string and two fingers at fret 2, you get E5.

If the little finger is not ready, play just the first two notes, root and fifth: it is still a power chord, a little thinner. Many players use only two fingers for fast riffs.

Shape 2: the root on the A string

C5 chord: E string not played, A string fret 3, D string fret 5, G string fret 5, B string not played, E string not played134CGCC5
D5 chord: E string not played, A string fret 5, D string fret 7, G string fret 7, B string not played, E string not played5fr134DADD5
The same fingers, one string higher: the root is on the A string.

Move the same shape one string higher: index on the A string, ring and little fingers two frets up on the D and G strings. At fret 3 it is C5, at fret 5 D5. The low E string must stay silent: touch it lightly with the tip of your index finger so it cannot ring.

Finding any power chord

The natural notes on the low E string (F at fret 1, G at 3, A at 5, B at 7, C at 8, D at 10, E at 12) and on the A string (B at 2, C at 3, D at 5, E at 7, F at 8, G at 10, A at 12).EADGBE123456789101112FGABCDEBCDEFGA
The notes of the two root strings. A sharp is one fret higher, a flat one fret lower.

Every power chord is named after its lowest note, so all you need are the note names of the low E and A strings. On the low E string: F at fret 1, G at 3, A at 5, B at 7, C at 8, D at 10 and E again at 12. On the A string: B at 2, C at 3, D at 5, E at 7, F at 8, G at 10. The dots on the neck at frets 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 help you count. For F sharp, F5 moves up one fret; for B flat, B5 moves down one.

Most of the time you can choose: C5 is at fret 8 on the low E string or at fret 3 on the A string. Pick the one closest to the chord before, so the hand moves as little as possible.

Keeping the other strings quiet

Power chords sound best when nothing else rings. Two habits do it. With the fretting hand, let the underside of your fingers rest lightly on the strings above the chord, so a careless strum only hits muted strings. With the strumming hand, aim for the three strings of the shape with short, compact strokes. Between two chords, relax the pressure of the fretting fingers without lifting them: the sound stops at once, which gives riffs their punch.

Palm muting is the other classic sound: rest the side of your strumming hand on the strings right where they meet the bridge, and strum through them. The notes come out short and chunky, the "chug" of rock rhythm guitar. Move the hand a little towards the neck for more mute, back to the bridge for less.

Your first riff

Tablature of a two-bar riff: E5, E5, G5, A5, then E5, E5, D5, C5, one chord per beat.EADGBe022E5022E5355G5577A5022E5022E5577D5355C5
Two bars, one chord per beat. Palm-mute the E5s, let G5 and A5 ring.

This riff uses both shapes: E5 open, G5 and A5 with the root on the low E string, then D5 and C5 with the root on the A string. Play one down stroke per chord, slowly, and say the chord names out loud. When it flows, play two down strokes per beat on the E5s with the palm mute. The exercise above runs through the same five chords: switch the sound to Electric or to the GOONS GX-1 for the real thing.

Practice tips

  • Slide, do not jump. To go from G5 to A5, keep the shape and slide it two frets: the fingers never leave the strings.
  • Down strokes only, at first. Rock rhythm guitar is played with fast, even down strokes; up strokes come later.
  • Use a metronome at 70 BPM, then raise it by 5 when the riff is clean.
  • Check the low E string on every A-string chord: if it rings, the chord sounds muddy.
Exercise

Play five power chords

E5 with the open low E string, G5 and A5 with the shape on the low E string, C5 and D5 with the shape on the A string. Click the chord the page names above the neck, or pick it with keys 1 to 5 and strum with Space.

Practise it: Online guitar → G chord shapes →

Questions

Frequently asked

What is a power chord on guitar?

A chord made of the root and the fifth, often with the root doubled an octave higher. It has no third, so it is neither major nor minor, and it is written with a 5: G5, A5, C5.

How do you play a power chord?

Index finger on the root on the low E or A string, ring finger two frets higher on the next string, little finger on the same fret one string further. Strum only those strings and keep the others muted.

Can you play power chords on an acoustic guitar?

Yes, the shapes are the same. They sound thinner than on a distorted electric guitar, so on an acoustic many players add the open strings or switch to full chords.

What is the difference between a power chord and a barre chord?

A barre chord has the full triad, root, third and fifth, over five or six strings. A power chord keeps only the root and the fifth on two or three strings: easier to play and better with distortion.

Why does my power chord sound muddy?

Usually an extra string is ringing. Mute the strings above and below the shape with the underside of your fingers, and strum only the two or three strings of the chord.

Learn guitar course

All the lessons

  1. A risograph poster of a whole acoustic guitar with its six strings in six colors, map pins pointing at the headstock, neck, sound hole and bridge Guitar parts and string names Headstock, neck, frets and body, the six strings E A D G B E, and how to sit with the guitar. 8 min
  2. A risograph poster of a yellow guitar tuning peg turning on its gear, its string sending out pink sound waves, beside a clip-on tuner with the needle in the center How to tune a guitar Standard tuning, a tuner in the browser, the fifth-fret method by ear, and why strings drift. 9 min
  3. A risograph poster of a guitar chord diagram with six strings, finger dots and open-string circles, beside a six-line tab with yellow dots Reading chord diagrams and tabs Chord boxes and tablature, the two pictures every guitar book uses, and your first melody in tab. 10 min
  4. A risograph poster of a guitar fretboard near the nut where pink, cyan and yellow fingertip dots press three strings for an open chord Your first guitar chords Em, Am, C, G, D and E: the six open chords behind thousands of songs, and how to make them ring. 10 min
  5. A risograph poster of a pink pick sweeping across the strings over a guitar sound hole under a row of down and up strumming arrows Strumming patterns Down on the beat, up on the "and": four strumming patterns from the simplest to the classic. 10 min
  6. A risograph poster of a guitar fretboard where curved yellow arrows carry a pink chord shape over to a cyan one Changing chords smoothly Anchor fingers, moving all fingers together and the one-minute change drill. 10 min
  7. A risograph poster of a bar of yellow light pressed across all six strings of a guitar fretboard, pink and cyan finger dots beyond it Barre chords One finger across all six strings: F, Bm and the two shapes that give you every chord. 12 min
  8. A risograph poster of an acoustic guitar resting against a log by a campfire, an open songbook at its feet and notes rising with the sparks Your first song on guitar Amazing Grace in G: four chords, a waltz strum and the whole song from start to finish. 12 min
  9. A risograph poster of a pink electric guitar plugged into an amplifier that blasts yellow lightning bolts and rings of sound Power chords Two fingers, one movable shape: the rock chord on the low E and A strings, and a first riff. 10 min
  10. A risograph poster of an acoustic guitar with six colored strings, four glowing fingertips plucking them over the sound hole and ripples of notes Fingerpicking for beginners Thumb on the bass, fingers on G, B and E: three patterns from an arpeggio to Travis picking. 12 min
  11. A risograph poster of a guitar fretboard under a stage spotlight, a box of pink and cyan scale dots and notes streaming out of it Your first guitar solo The minor pentatonic at fret 5, bends and slurs, a first lick and how to improvise over a chord. 12 min
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