Power chords form the foundation for most rock and metal riffs.
They’re popular in those genres due to their simple structure, which makes it exceptionally easy to memorize power chord shapes and move them around the fretboard.
Their neutral sound also makes them popular, which comes from their interval structure. Let’s explain this further.
What is a power chord?
A power chord has 2 notes:
- A root (1)
- A fifth (5)
- Optional note: Octave (which is the root note (1) , played at the next highest pitch
Containing only a root and a fifth, power chords lack any tone that would make them major or minor. This is what gives them their neutral sound.
How To Play Power Chords on Guitar
There are technically 4 common power chord shapes:
- Standard power chord shape, played using your 1st and 3rd fingers at any fret on the D, A, and low E strings
- Open power chord
- Power chord shape with the octave
- Inverted power chord shape (the 5th is the bass note, rather than the root)
Here are all 4 shapes, played using E as the root note.
