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  #1  
Old 07-15-2017, 08:47 AM
Gateway40 Gateway40 is offline
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Default Playing Power Chords

Any thoughts on playing power chords clean, in other words without hitting a unwanted string or two? Learning power chords now and having trouble hitting the correct strings.
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  #2  
Old 07-15-2017, 09:30 AM
john57classic john57classic is offline
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Practiicing picking control would of course be recommended, but muting the unwanted strings is generally reliable and a good (maybe even necessary) technigue, especially if playing an electric guitar.
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Old 07-15-2017, 09:50 AM
Clallam Clallam is offline
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Hitting the desired strings comes down to practice like everything else. It will help if you mute the unwanted strings so they won't be as loud if you hit them by accident.
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Old 07-15-2017, 12:05 PM
MattM MattM is offline
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You can mute the string directly above the two or three that you are playing with your ring finger or pinky, respectively, by dropping your wrist slightly so that the pad of the finger angles across the string lightly. You can also rest your second finger lightly on the string directly below the ones you are playing.

For octaves, you use the same technique for the top string and repeat it with your pointer finger for the middle string.
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  #5  
Old 07-16-2017, 08:40 AM
Gateway40 Gateway40 is offline
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Thank you all!!! As usual very helpful.. your thoughts are always appreciated.
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  #6  
Old 07-25-2017, 06:45 AM
SnowManSnow SnowManSnow is offline
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Default Playing Power Chords

I'm assuming you mean bar chords? I always thought power chords were simply an octave and 5th (leaving out the 3rd).
I'm sorry if I'm wrong and or complicated the question.
If you're talking about bar chords then practice is the way to go. Left hand strength plays a big part in it as well as accuracy on your right side.
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  #7  
Old 07-25-2017, 06:56 AM
Kerbie Kerbie is offline
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I usually play power chords on strings 6 and 5, two frets apart. So, it's not hard to mute strings 1-4 with my left hand. A little bit harder on string 5 and 4, but not too much.
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  #8  
Old 07-25-2017, 08:38 AM
mattbn73 mattbn73 is offline
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One of the easiest solutions to getting better at muting unwanted strings is to plug in and electric guitar and turn up the volume and the distortion. This creates a worst case scenario in unwanted ringing that enables 10-year-old kids to become masters of muting in a couple of days. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether you like this distorted electric guitar sound by the way.

I mean, you can analyze other's muting techniques, talk about it etc. etc., but at the end of the day, there's nothing much more effective than being put in a situation where you HAVE to mute more to get any kind of decent sound. Spent 99% of my life playing acoustic guitar, but the portion I spent playing distorted electric helped with muting techniques immensely.

Solid muting techniques from the great players involves many many aspects of both hands. There are the more gross-motor muting techniques like the right hand palm etc., but there also the very fine ones - individual fingers of the left hand, inside flesh of the thumb, the flesh on each of the fingers holding the pick, the side of the pick hand thumb etc. etc. etc.

Book some time on Junior's electric guitar and crank it. Seriously. Easiest way.
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Old 07-25-2017, 01:40 PM
paulp1960 paulp1960 is offline
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I understand power chords to mean just root, 5th and octave 3 note chords, usually.

I do play them sometimes on acoustic but I think they are used much more often in electric rock guitar playing.
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  #10  
Old 07-25-2017, 01:47 PM
Kerbie Kerbie is offline
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I usually play them as 2-note "chords" with the root and 5th... adding the top root is fine. Whatever the song calls for...
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  #11  
Old 07-25-2017, 02:10 PM
frankmcr frankmcr is offline
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?

A "power chord" is just the root & fifth of a chord. The term doesn't have any other meaning.

In E -

E5 0224xx
A5 0022xx
B5 2244xx
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