
Here's a D major chord for reference, though note that this is different from a D power chord. The "O" represents strings that should be played openly, though note that power chord shapes typically don't include open strings. The closed circles on the string represent where you put your fingers, with the number showcased inside these circles dictating which fingers are used to play notes.Īn "X" indicates which strings should not be played or strummed. The number located near the nut of the guitar indicates what fret you're starting from. To read these charts, assuming you're in standard tuning, understand that it's meant to represent a bird's eye view of a guitar neck, with the leftmost string representing the low E string, to the A string, the D string, the G string, the B string, and finally to the high E string. Guitar chords are most commonly used in rock music, so it makes sense that they are typically communicated through guitar chord charts. In fact, power chord shapes are known for being easy to move across the neck of the guitar.Īs showcased below, power chords can be represented in multiple ways on a guitar chord chart, but they often utilize similar shapes so that it's easy to move from one to the next power chord shape while playing guitar.

In some cases, three strings might still be played to emphasize the root note of the power chord, equating in this case to C G C.Įliminating this third-scale note creates flexibility, allowing guitarists to easily switch between keys or transition to different chords. A C power chord, otherwise known as C5 would be just C G. The C Major scale is comprised of C D E F G A B. Power chords only have two notes: the root note and fifth note, whereas typical triads have the root, third and fifth.įor instance, let's take a look at the C major scale. In a typical major chord or minor chord triad, the third scale degree helps define the tone quality. Power chords are chords that aren't necessarily minor or major.
ALL POWER CHORDS HOW TO
We'll also demonstrate how to start playing power chords so that you can incorporate these power chord shapes into your music. However, did you know that some music styles aren't exclusively minor or major? Enter power chords!īelow, we'll explain why power chords are so useful and share some songs that use this technique. We know that some genres of music tend to lean towards major or minor keys.
