power chords suck

[aggie182]

Originally Posted by taygull

OK so give me an example....

So a bar C is

335553

A bar A is a

577655

Would you consider these "Power Chords"?

-------------
-------------
--5----------
--5---7------
--3---7------
------5------
C A

[Jeff M]

Originally Posted by taygull

OK so give me an example....

So a bar C is

335553

A bar A is a

577655

Would you consider these "Power Chords"?

Not really. A power chord has ONLY the I and V tones. NO thirds. The thirds tend to flavor the chord-think of how different major and minor chords sound. No third, a "harsher", stronger sounding tone.

Many beginning electric guitarists start out learning power chords becasue they can be so easy to play-just play two adjacent strings and you can easily get the I and the V tones with two fingers. No more strings need be played. I guess you can play a barre power chord, but I haven't really thought about it. Kind of defeats one of the main reasons for playing them-their ease of use.

[aggie182]

Originally Posted by Jeff M

Not really. A power chord has ONLY the I and V tones. NO thirds. The thirds tend to flavor the chord-think of how different major and minor chords sound. No third, a "harsher", stronger sounding tone.

Many beginning electric guitarists start out learning power chords becasue they can be so easy to play-just play two adjacent strings and you can easily get the I and the V tones with two fingers. No more strings need be played. I guess you can play a barre power chord, but I haven't really thought about it. Kind of defeats one of the main reasons for playing them-their ease of use.

when i play my power chords, i play with 3 fingers. most beginners that ive seen play then with 2. i use index, ring, pinky.

[Pipsqueak]

some people have made a LOOOOOOOOOT of money off of power chords.

[love2fishfork]

Originally Posted by taygull

OK so give me an example....

So a bar C is

335553

A bar A is a

577655

Would you consider these "Power Chords"?

No! A power chord is just the root and fifth. In your example an A power chord would be like this:

57XXXX

It's only part of the bar. Most people learn to play them because they are easy and if cranked up enough sound pretty good which is fine, but at some point a guitar player needs to learn to play the entire chord. Unfortunately I have an 18 year old son who is doing this, and for his music (punk) I guess it fits.

[~j~]

Originally Posted by Pipsqueak

some people have made a LOOOOOOOOOT of money off of power chords.

*Ding* we have a winner. Songwriting has more to do with creatively using a few things well than over-complicating things -- nothing sucks about playing guitar, except when you have to put it down...

[aggie182]

Originally Posted by ~j~

*Ding* we have a winner. Songwriting has more to do with creatively using a few things well than over-complicating things -- nothing sucks about playing guitar, except when you have to put it down...

amen brotha. i think its cool to make simple stuff sound rad.

[randyfromde]

of course, everyone on the planet is too lazy to tab without them, so there's no tabs on the internet that don't use them.

Speak for yourself! I've done HUNDRED'S of tabs without relying on power chords

I'd think the issue would be more of "correct" vs. "incorrect" tabs. If the song has power chords in it, then it's getting tabbed by me with power chords. If it has extended chords, then I'm figuring out the correct chord....

[Michael K]

Originally Posted by Jeff M

Well, I guess I'm just operating in a different realm music wise. I just don't see to many power chords in my fingerstyle Celtic repetoir.

Watch out though, the Celtics are hiring a new coach...oh, you don't mean those Celtics do you??!!

Couldn't resist

[kkrauss]

To me, when I hear the term "power chord", I think of the three-finger, shortcut, non-barre variant that a lot of the current groups use almost exclusively. For example, a "G" power chord would be:

355xxx

and a power chord "C" would be:

x355xx

Obviously, these forms can move pretty much effortlessly up and down the neck, even for a complete novice. If you have a little music theory in your background and play these, you will notice that they contain a root and a fifth, but no third -- so the same chord form applies, whether the chord is major or minor. They do sound full, robust, and "powerful" in a rock/grunge/punk setting.

I never complain about anything that makes any sort of music, guitar music in particular, more reachable for a wide range of potential musicians. I love to see new players feel like they can make great strides in a short amount of time.

Certainly too, there are a lot of fairly prominent musicians out there who have made a lot of money playing only these chords, and only playing with downstrokes too for that matter. But I do chuckle a bit inside when my son tells me the chords to some riff are "G, A, then D," then he plays the CD for me and the chords really are "G, Am, and D." I think it's best if people learn to move past power chords as they progress and develop their ears and musical sense, then choose to use them judiciously as a stylistic choice, rather than because it's the only thing they know how to do.

Just my $.02

-Kent

[aggie182]

Originally Posted by kkrauss

I think it's best if people learn to move past power chords as they progress and develop their ears and musical sense, then choose to use them judiciously as a stylistic choice, rather than because it's the only thing they know how to do.

Just my $.02

-Kent

i agree, but some people use power chords as their form of creating music. i can play normal chords, but i choose power chords 90 % of the time. i simply love them. maybe im a horrible guitarist, but i can play some mean power chords. ive been playing 5 or 6 years. i learned by playing blink 182, green day, etc, because thats the music i relate to. so i stuck with the pop punk power chord style. it always seems like people fault those who use power chords and think they suck.

i have a friend who's an incredible guitarist. he's in to vai, satriani, etc. he can shred out some mean lead stuff, but when i was tryin to get him to jam some blink with me...he was lost. he could play powerchords for the life of him.

[kkrauss]

Originally Posted by aggie182

i learned by playing blink 182, green day, etc, because thats the music i relate to. so i stuck with the pop punk power chord style. it always seems like people fault those who use power chords and think they suck.

It's all good, especially if it moves you. My son's doing the same thing -- playing maybe a year and a half now. I think he's left Blink behind, but he's still doing a lot of Green Day, the Pixies, Nirvanna, and the like. I actually like pretty much everything he listens to. I do think he's expanding his horizons a bit by taking on groups like Radiohead, though.

I didn't think he had music in him growing up, but he's in back wailing away most of the afternoons now, and wants to write his own stuff as well. Like they say, "if it sounds good, it is good!"

-Kent

[rockdonnystyle]

Don't hate on the power chords...there is a musical place for them for sure....plus they are so easy!

[Aaron Smith]

I don't see what the big deal is... it's a style of guitar that some people like to play... no problem with that. I know plenty of people that have a hoot shredding power chords cranked "up to 11". The don't have any desire to be the next Segovia, and they have a fine time doing it- more power to them. Of course, I don't really want to listen to it. Especially in a music store.

[nhsmitty]

Chord snobs and chord snobbery.....

Didn't realize there was such a thing.....