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Playing Power Chords Technically put, a power chord is the combination of two notes separated by a perfect fifth interval played by the electric guitar that does not change in character when the guitarist uses distortion. There are two essential features of power chords: the first is that the chord cannot contain any interval besides the perfect fifth; the second is that the chord must be played using electronic distortion provided by an amplifier or distortion pedal. Guitarist Link Wray dubbed the power chord in 1958, and it has been used by nearly every major rock band from the 1960's to today. The term "power chord" came out of his discovery that omitting the third from both major and minor chords when played on the electric guitar allowed him to distort the sound and "power" of the amplifier without changing the nature of the chord or causing any unpleasant dissonance. The power chord is closely associated with rock guitar culture and particularly the overdriven styles of hard rock, heavy metal and punk. Pete Townshend of "The Who" created perhaps the most memorable power chord in rock history when he combined it with the dramatic arm windmill maneuver.
Power chords consist of two different notes - the root note and the fifth. Guitarists can play these chords in different ways depending on the sound they hope to achieve. They can either play only the two notes, or double one of the notes to get a fatter, more powerful sound with a three-note power chord. Many famous guitarists of heavy metal music acts such as Motley Crue, Metallica and Iron Maiden have relied on these fatter, beefier power chords to create driving resonance and a sheer volume unparalleled by musicians in any other type of group. Because of the nature and character of the notes in major and minor chords, even the most ringing and beautiful chords can sound a little off in the presence of distortion. The third interval can create overtones that cause dissonance with other notes within the chord and create clashing noise. Under normal circumstances, when played by other instruments, this dissonance is a good characteristic for chords to have because it helps convey different moods, such as happiness, sadness or sweetness, since chords in different keys have decidedly different character. But when a power supply is introduced in the form of an amplifier, it alters the sound and causes unique tone quality to override some of the nature of typical chords, both major and minor. While a power chord may seem as simple as playing two different notes, a guitarist has to know and understand more complex music theory and technique in order to perfect the power chord execution and tone. As with any other skill, learning the simplicity of the power chord requires knowledge of the complex possibilities of chords in relationship to the electric guitar. Every guitarist should have a library of knowledge about different chord structures and shapes. For those that don't, investment in a chord dictionary is a good idea; there is no replacement for a strong music theory base, and even for guitarists that end up playing the simplest of rock songs, having knowledge of chords and chord techniques will bring real life to the music. Chord dictionaries will also give a player many different options for playing the same chord, for example, C7, and will help achieve different sounds and textures that will fit with the different moods and styles of music played. Power chords are simplified versions of regular chords and allow for easier chord progression and greater resonance in rock music; they simplify the music and make it easy for a musician to navigate the fret board. Before touching on the elements of a perfect power chord and why it is so great for real, powerful rock, what are chords? Chords are based on musical scales, which are really the fundamental aspects of music. Simple major chords contain the first (root), third and fifth notes of a major scale. A minor chord is built from the root, third and fifth notes of a minor scale. On the guitar, because of the presence of six strings, musicians duplicate notes in different octaves to create open-position chords in order to create a bigger and different sound. The most obvious difference between major and minor chords is the mood each evokes; the major creates an open, more lively and joyful sound whereas the minor is more closed with an air of foreboding or melancholy. Many heavy metal songs play upon minor keys to create a darker, more intense musical mood. In comparison to regular, often six-string chords, power chords are stripped down structures. As mentioned previously, they only consist of the root and the fifth, often with the root doubled an octave higher. The simplicity of rock music is greatly complimented by this sparse chord structure, as often full six-string chords might be overstating musical themes and melodies, taking away from the raw nature of the music. Because power chords are missing the third interval, which determines the major or minor quality of the chord, they are without classification and thus useful regardless of the key of a song. Because they focus heavily on the root note and on boosting the volume of the music, they can help enhance the bass line with little effort, since they are all gripped by the guitarist's hands in the same way. While it is very easy to play even fat power chords by simply hitting the strings involved in the chord, the more advanced technique requires the player to dampen the three or four strings that are not involved in the chord. Since the pioneers of power chords intended them to involve all six strings, the act of damping is essential to playing the chord in its true form. For more advanced playing, power chords sound best under several specific conditions: |
