E5 power chord in eighth notes  play (help·info)

In guitar music, a power chord  Play (help·info) (also fifth chord) is a chord that consists of the root note and the fifth interval. Power chords are played on amplified guitars, especially on electric guitar with distortion. Power chords are a key element of many styles of rock music.^[1]

Analysis [edit]

When two or more notes are played through a distortion process which non-linearly transforms the audio signal, additional partials are generated at the sums and differences of the frequencies of the harmonics of those notes (intermodulation distortion).^[2]

When a typical 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 (furthered by equal temperament and inharmonicity).^[3]

However, in a power chord, the ratio between the frequencies of the root and fifth is very close to the just interval 3:2. When played through distortion, the intermodulation leads to the production of partials closely related in frequency to the harmonics of the original two notes, producing a more coherent sound. The intermodulation causes the spectrum of the sound to be expanded in both directions, and with enough distortion, a new fundamental frequency component appears at an octave lower than the root note of the chord played without distortion, giving a richer, more bassy and more subjectively 'powerful' sound than the undistorted signal.^[4]

Even when played without distortion, the simple ratios between the harmonics in the notes of a power chord can give a stark and powerful sound, due to the resultant tone effect

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.

Terminology [edit]

In a triadic context chords with omitted thirds may be considered "indeterminate" triads.^[5]  Play (help·info)

Theorists are divided on whether a power chord can be considered a chord in the traditional sense, with some requiring a 'chord' to contain a minimum of three degrees of the scale. When the same interval is found in traditional and classical music, it would not usually be called a "chord", and may be considered to be a dyad or simply an interval. However, the term is accepted as a pop and rock music term, most strongly associated with the overdriven electric guitar styles of hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, and similar genres. The use of the term "power chord" has, to some extent, spilled over into the vocabulary of other instrumentalists, such as keyboard and synthesizer players.

Power chords are most commonly notated 5 or (no 3). For example, "C5" or "C(no 3)" refer to playing the root (C) and fifth (G). These can be inverted, so that the G is played below the C (making an interval of a fourth). They can also be played with octave doublings of the root or fifth note, which will make a sound that is subjectively higher pitched with less power in the low frequencies, but still retains the character of a power chord.

Another notation is ind, designating the chord as 'indeterminate'.^[5] This refers to the fact that a power chord is neither major nor minor, as there is no third present. This gives the power chord a chameleon-like property; if played where a major chord might be expected, it can sound like a major chord, but when played where a minor chord might be expected, it will sound minor.

History [edit]

Howlin' Wolf - "How Many More Years" (1951) Sample of Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years" (1951), featuring Willie Johnson on the electric guitar James Cotton - "Cotton Crop Blues" (1954) Sample of James Cotton's "Cotton Crop Blues" (1954), featuring Pat Hare on the electric guitar Link Wray & His Ray Men - "Rumble" (1958) Sample of "Rumble" (1958) by Link Wray & His Ray Men The Kinks - "You Really Got Me" (1964) Sample of "You Really Got Me" (1964) by The Kinks

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Power chords can be traced back to commercial recordings in the 1950s. Robert Palmer pointed to electric blues guitarists Willie Johnson and Pat Hare, both of whom played for Sun Records in the early 1950s, as the true originators of the power chord, citing as evidence Johnson's playing on Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years" (recorded 1951) and Hare's playing on James Cotton's "Cotton Crop Blues" (recorded 1954).^[6] Link Wray is often cited as the first mainstream musician to have introduced power chords, especially with his hit instrumental "Rumble" in 1958.^{[7][8][9][10]}

The Who's Peter Townshend often used a theatrical "windmill" strum to play power chords.

A later hit song built around power chords was "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks, released in 1964.^[11] This song's riffs exhibit fast power-chord changes:

The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" guitar riff.  Play (help·info)

The Who's guitarist, Peter Townshend, performed power chords with a theatrical windmill-strum,^[12][13] for example in "My Generation".^{[citation needed]}

Early heavy rock bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple also helped to popularize power chords.^{[citation needed]} Examples include Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water".^[14] On King Crimson's Red album, Robert Fripp thrashed with power chords.^[15] In the 1980s, The Cars song "You Might Think" a power chord was performed "by muting the strings and plucking the chord repeatedly."^[14]

Techniques [edit]

Power chords are often performed within a single octave, as this results in the closest matching of overtones. Octave doubling is sometimes done in power chords. Power chords are often pitched in a middle register. If they are too low, they tend to sound unclear and boomy. When played too high they lack depth and power.

Shown are four examples of an F5 chord. A common voicing is the 1-5 perfect fifth (A), to which the octave can be added, 1-5-1 (B). A perfect fourth 5-1 (C) is also a power chord, as it implies the "missing" lower 1 pitch. Either or both of the pitches may be doubled an octave above or below (D is 5-1-5-1), which leads to another common variation, 5-1-5 (not shown).

Spider chords [edit]

Spider chord on D and B♭  Play (help·info). The "web" of lines in the tab between each successive fret shows the fingering order (5-6-7-8 fingered 1-2-3-4 on strings 5-6-4-5).

The spider chord is a guitar technique popularized during the 80s thrash metal scene. Regarded as being popularized (and the term "spider chord" coined) by Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, it is used to reduce string noise when playing (mostly chromatic) riffs which require chords across several strings.

The chord or technique is used in the songs "Wake Up Dead", "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Ride the Lightning".^[16]

 
   D5 Bb5
e|-------|
B|-------|
G|-------|
D|-7-----|
A|-5--8--|
E|----6--|
   3      <
   1  4   <--Spider chord fingering
      2   <

As seen in the above tab, the two power chords may be played in succession without shifting, making it easier and quicker,^[16] and thus avoiding string noise. The normal fingering would be for both chords, requiring a simultaneous shift and string change. Note that the two power chords are a major third apart, if the first chord is the tonic the second is the minor submediant. The spider chord fingering also allows access to a major seventh chord without the third:^[16]

    AM7
e|------|
B|------|
G|------|
D|--6---|
A|--7---|
E|--5---|
    3
    4
    2

The spider chord requires the player to use all four fingers of the fretting hand, thus its name. This technique then allows you to run down the neck playing either of the two chords.^[16]

Fingering [edit]

Perhaps the most common implementation is 1-5-1', that is, the root note, a note a fifth above the root, and a note an octave above the root. When the strings are a fourth apart, especially the lower four strings in standard tuning, the lowest note is played with some fret on some string and the higher two notes are two frets higher on the next two strings. Using standard tuning, notes on the first or second string need to be played one fret higher than this. (A bare fifth without octave doubling is the same, except that the highest of the three strings, in parentheses below, is not played. A bare fifth with the bass note on the second string has the same fingering as one on the fifth or sixth string.)

        G5     A5     D5     E5     G5     A5     D5     A5
E||----------------------------------------------(10)---(5)----|
B||--------------------------------(8)----(10)----10-----5-----|
G||------------------(7)----(9)-----7------9------7------2-----|
D||----(5)----(7)-----7------9------5------7-------------------|
A||-----5------7------5------7---------------------------------|
E||-----3------5-----------------------------------------------|

An inverted bare fifth, i.e. a bare fourth, can be played with one finger, as in the example below, from the riff in Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple:

     G5/D Bb5/F C5/G   G5/D Bb5/F Db5/Ab C5/G
E||------------------------|----------------------|
B||------------------------|----------------------|
G||*------3---5------------|-------3---6---5------|
D||*--5---3---5------------|---5---3---6---5------|
A||---5--------------------|---5------------------|
E||------------------------|----------------------|

|-----------------------|---------------------||
|-----------------------|---------------------||
|------3---5---3---0----|--------------------*||
|---5--3---5---3---0----|--------------------*||
|---5-------------------|---------------------||
|-----------------------|---------------------||

Another implementation used is 5-1'-5', that is, a note a fourth below the root, the root note, and a note a fifth above the root. (This is sometimes called a "fourth chord", but usually the second note is taken as the root, although it's not the lowest one.) When the strings are a fourth apart, the lower two notes are played with some fret on some two strings and the highest note is two frets higher on the next string. Of course, using standard tuning, notes on the first or second string need to be played one fret higher.

        D5     E5     G5     A5     D5     A5     D5     G5
E||-----------------------------------------------5------10----|
B||---------------------------------10-----5------3------8-----|
G||-------------------7------9------7------2-----(2)----(7)----|
D||-----7------9------5------7-----(7)----(2)------------------|
A||-----5------7-----(5)----(7)--------------------------------|
E||----(5)----(7)----------------------------------------------|

With the drop D tuning—or any other dropped tuning for that matter—power chords with the bass on the sixth string can be played with one finger, and D power chords can be played on three open strings.

In order to maintain the alternating dominant and recessive notes, they almost never consist of more than 3 strings.

     D5      E5
E||----------------
B||----------------
G||----------------
D||--0-------2-----
A||--0-------2-----
D||--0-------2-----

Occasionally, open, "stacked" power chords with more than three notes are used in drop D.

E||--------------------------5---
B||--3-------5-------7-------3---
G||--2-------4-------6-------2---
D||--0-------2-------4-------0---
A||--0-------2-------4-------0---
D||--0-------2-------4-------0---

See also [edit]

• Overtone
• Intermodulation
• Electronic tuner

Notes [edit]

References [edit]

• Denyer, Ralph (1992). "Playing the guitar, pp. 65-160, and The chord dictionary, pp. 225-249". The guitar handbook. Special contributors Isaac Guillory and Alastair M. Crawford (Fully revised and updated ed.). London and Syndey: Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-32750-X.  Unknown parameter |foreword= ignored (help)

Further reading [edit]

• Crawshaw, Edith A. H. (1939). "What's Wrong with Consecutive Fifths?". The Musical Times, Vol. 80, No. 1154. (Apr., 1939), pp. 256–257. (subscription required)

External links [edit]

• Guitar Lesson - Various power chord shapes and exercises