Not to over simplify Rock N’ Roll but a huge variety of music is based on two patterns: The blues vamp and the power chord. Blues vamps and power chords are just names for rhythmic patterns and chords. Today were looking at the power chords.

What is a Power Chord? Power chords are “movable chords”, meaning we can move their position up or down the neck, to create different power chords. It’s the same shape just starting in a different position. The power chord contains two notes, the root note, and a note called the “fifth”. Power chords are known as “fifth chords” (written C5 or E5, etc). Power chord are not a Major or Minor in tonal quality. The sample below is a power chord in TAB Format.

E————-
B————-
G————-
D————-
A—-3——–
E—-1——–

The first fret on the Low E is an F so this is and F5 Power Chord. In this case you want to play only the two notes on the Low E and A strong.

E————-
B————-
G————-
D————-
A—-7——–
E—-5——–

The fifth fret on the Low E is an A so this is and A5 Power Chord. In this case you want to play only the two notes on the Low E and A strong. Notice this is exactly the same shape as the F5 just move up one step or two frets.

In both of these examples we are looking at power chords with the root note (the one that names the chord) on the Low E or sixth string. The same chord shape can be played with the root note on the A or 5th string.

E————-
B————-
G————-
D—-9——–
A—-7——–
E————-

The 7th fret on the A string is an E so this is and E5 Power Chord. In this case you want to play only the two notes on the A and D string, and mute the note on the Low E with the tip of your finger pressing down on the 7th fret of the A string.

The following Power chords are the same chord but played in different positions on the fret board. Confused?

E————-
B————-
G————-
D—-9——–
A—-7——–
E————-

E————-
B————-
G————-
D————-
A—-2——–
E————-

Don’t be. Play around with these cool little chords. Add some distortion to your amp and play the notes with all down strokes while alternating string mutes. This is the basic techniques used in most hard rock, metal and grunge styles of Rock N’ Roll.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 free guitar lessons and our Free eBook on playing guitar.

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Learning to play good rhythm guitar was the hardest thing for me to figure out when I was first learning. Most people associate playing rhythm to just strumming chords, but it is so much more. I love playing guitar solos and when I sit down to play by myself I usually end up playing an amazing 20 minute solo for myself. Man it’s a lot of fun, but in reality 95% of your playing will be rhythm.

I read an interview of Eddie Van Halen once in which Eddie stated that he was primarily a rhythm guitar player first and a soloist second. Most of the songs you hear and the “riffs” you groove to are not solos but guitar rhythms. The guitar solo is missing in most modern rock music (too bad). I thought this was an indication that modern guitarists just did not have the talent. Listen to bands like Tool and you quickly learn that these guitarists are just as talented as their fathers. They focus more on supporting the song and providing the “vibe”. Each generation of musicians needs to do there own thing, but guitar solos are starting to make a come back.

Learning to play rhythm properly is IMPOSSIBLE if all you do is sit in your room a jam by yourself. Most guitarists have a hard time leaping from playing alone in their room to playing in a band. There are things you can do to make the transition easier. The most important advice is to buy a drum machine or at least find some sort of rhythm device to play along with. Use the drum machine every time you play. Tuning my guitar and turning on my drum machine is automatic for me.

Another effective way to learn rhythm is by playing along with your favorite songs. Tascam sells a machine called a guitar trainer that slows down a CD so you can learn a song at a manageable speed and then allows you to increase the speed as you learn the song. If you cannot afford one of these devices then play along to a CD or Ipod. I often load a song on my Ipod and then put my amp head phones over the Ipod head phones. Be careful of the volume.

Learning good rhythm guitar will land you gigs and teach you more about how to play music. So when you sit down to practice focus about 75% of your time on perfecting this demanding skill.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 Free Guitar Lessons and Information about playing Guitar.

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Learning an instrument 0 and guitar specifically 0 can be a wonderful experience that fills you with the joy of achievement. Whether you want to master the guitar or just learn a few songs well, the process of learning guitar requires practice, along with the mastering of several techniques. Included in these techniques is the requirement to learn guitar chords. Such chords are your bridge to music.
In order to learn guitar chords you must first know the sound that each vibration on each guitar string makes. At this point you must also understand how finger placement will change the vibration on each guitar string. To learn guitar chords in this manner, practice and repetition are key to success. You will soon understand how different guitar chords come together to form a song. If you know the chords, you0ll know the song 0 it0s that simple.
When we reference guitar chords there are several different definitions depending on the type of music you wish to play. One such chord is the bar chord referring to those chords that are struck when the finger of one hand holds down all the strings on the fret of the guitar 0 the part at the […]

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