Power Chords on Guitar

What a power chord is

A major chord is root, 3rd and 5th (1 3 5). A power chord keeps the root and the 5th and drops the 3rd. Because the 3rd is the note that makes a chord sound major or minor, a power chord is neither: it just states the root and a stable interval above it. The chord symbol is a plain 5, so you will see E5, A5 and D5 on chord sheets.

Most players add the root an octave up (the third note). It does not change the chord, it only makes it a little fuller.

Why power chords suit distortion

Under heavy distortion, chords with many notes tend to blur, and thirds in particular can sound muddy. A root and a 5th stay clear and heavy, which is why power chords are the base of rock and punk rhythm guitar.

How they sound on acoustic

On an acoustic there is no distortion, so a power chord sounds hollow and open: just the root and 5th ringing. That is a useful sound for strummed rhythm, but it is not a full chord, so most acoustic songs use open chords or barre chords instead and save power chords for riffs and driving parts.

Power chord shapes

The strings from low to high are E A D G B E. Below, x means do not play the string and numbers are frets, written from the 6th string to the 1st.

Root on the 6th string

The root is the note on the 6th string. The 5th is on the 5th string two frets higher, and the octave is on the 4th string, also two frets higher. In shape form: n n+2 n+2 x x x.

• E5: 0 2 2 x x x (E, B, E)
• F5: 1 3 3 x x x (F, C, F)
• G5: 3 5 5 x x x (G, D, G)
• A5: 5 7 7 x x x (A, E, A)

Open E5 is the only one of these that uses an open string. G5 has no open version with a clean root and 5th, so play it at fret 3.

Root on the 5th string

The same shape, one string lower: the root is on the 5th string, the 5th is on the 4th string two frets higher, and the octave on the 3rd string two frets higher. In shape form: x n n+2 n+2 x x.

• A5: x 0 2 2 x x (A, E, A)
• B5: x 2 4 4 x x (B, F♯, B)
• C5: x 3 5 5 x x (C, G, C)
• D5: x 5 7 7 x x (D, A, D)

Open D5 and root on the 4th string

With the root on the 4th string, the 5th is on the 3rd string two frets higher. The octave falls on the 2nd string, but there the spacing between the strings is one fret smaller, so it sits only three frets above the root, not two. In shape form: x x n n+2 n+3 x.

• D5: x x 0 2 3 x (D, A, D)
• F5: x x 3 5 6 x (F, C, F)

Root notes on the 6th and 5th strings

To play a power chord of any name, find the fret of the root note on the 6th or 5th string and use the shape above.

For example, a B♭5 is fret 6 on the 6th string (6 8 8 x x x) or fret 1 on the 5th string (x 1 3 3 x x). The lower fret on the 5th string is usually the easier choice.

Technique: fingering and muting

Fingering

• 1-3-4: index finger on the root, ring finger two frets higher on the next string, little finger on the string after that. This is the standard three-note grip.
• 1-3 barre: index on the root and ring finger flattened across the two higher notes. It frees the little finger and is common for fast riffs, but it needs a straight, firm ring finger.

Keep your thumb behind the neck and fret close to the fret wire, as you would for any chord. A good fingering is the one that lets you switch shapes without lifting your whole hand.

Muting

Only two or three strings should sound, so the other strings need to be silent:

• Lower-pitched strings (towards the ceiling): the tip of the index finger can rest lightly on them, touching but not pressing to the fret. For an A5 with the root on the 5th string, the index finger touches the 6th string.
• Higher-pitched strings (towards the floor): the underside of your fretting fingers can lean against them. Alternatively, aim your strum only at the strings you want.
• Palm muting: rest the side of your picking-hand palm on the strings next to the bridge to shorten the notes. This is a rhythm effect on top of the shape, not a fingering.

Moving shapes in a I-IV-V

Because the shape has no 3rd, a power chord moves to any root without changing fingers. A I-IV-V in E uses E, A and B:

Practice this on one string set first: play E5, A5, B5, A5 with the 6th-string root shape, sliding the whole shape rather than lifting off. Then try the same changes with the 5th-string shape. Set the metronome slow and speed up only when you can change on the beat without a break in the sound. For the symbols and numbers used in these charts, see how to read chord charts.

Power chords on acoustic: drop D

Drop D tuning lowers the 6th string from E to D, giving D A D G B E. The three lowest strings are then D, A and D, which is already a D5 chord. That means you can play a power chord with one finger by barring the 6th, 5th and 4th strings at the same fret.

This is why drop D is common for heavier acoustic parts. See the drop D tuning guide for how to tune down. Only the three lowest strings follow this one-finger shape: the strings above are tuned as in standard tuning.