Power chords

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These chords are often referred to power chords. If you take the 3rd note out of a triad, you have created a chord with a 1st and 5th note. 

The chord to the left is a Root 5 A type movable bar chord. This means that the chord is determined by the note on the A string. The chord illustrated would be the C major chord. You can play all the major chords up and down the fret board using this fingering pattern. If you moved this pattern to the 5th fret you would be playing the D chord. By eliminating the E note from this chord we would now have the C5 bar chord. These chords are also referred to power chords.

 
The chord to the left is a C5 movable bar chord. These means that the chord is determined by the note on the A string. The chord illustrated would be the C5 chord. You can play all the 5 type chords up and down the fret board using this fingering pattern. If you moved this pattern to the 5th fret you would be playing the D5 chord. Look at a sheet of popular music and you are bound to find these chords. These chords are used in most rock songs. Click here for a list of 5 chords.

 

The notes that make up the C chord are: C, E and G. When you play the C5 chord your drop the E note. Chords are built upward of thirds. The notes in the C chord would be, C root, E 3rd and G 5th. So we would not play the 3rd note of the chord. We would then play the C and G note only. Learn more about root 5 bar chords.

 

Listen to this lead and electric guitar rhythm, the lead guitar is using the G major power chord and the open position Em chord. The lead uses the G major pentatonic scale over the G and then switches to the Em pentatonic scale in the open position over the Em chord. It then jumps to the 12 fret of the Em scale or G major scale.

Listen to just the rhythm alone, no lead. 

Play the G major pentatonic or the G major scale over the G and Em chord. Also use the Em scale over the chords.

Practice some progressions in G major.

Good luck,

From the Jam Room