[NUI]

Please enlighten me. I see this term used rather often but I just don't know what they are.


Thanks,
John

[Cedric01]

In its most primitive state, a power chord is a chord comprised of only a root and a 5th. A less primitive version of this chord would have the root doubled one octave above the 1st root.

[Fretsource]

It's a special kind of chord that has only two notes - which, technically, makes it an interval rather than a chord.
The two notes are spaced five scale degrees apart, which means the two notes will combine really well - better than all other chords.
That means that they can be played with very heavy 'power' and distortion and still sound good - and they give that familiar rock, Pete Townshend/ Nirvana/ Deep Purple overdriven kind of sound. Normal chords, by contrast can sound very messy when used with overdrive and distortion.
Power chords are missing the note that gives other chords a major or minor sound.
Although they have only two different notes - either of those notes can be repeated an octave higher, e.g., G5 can be played as 35XXXX (G & D) or 355XXX (G D & G)

[NUI]

Thank you, that was most helpful.

[Ballard]

If you want to see for yourself, play the 6th string on the 3rd fret and the 5th string on the 5th fret. Only strum those two strings. Then slide the shape up and down the fret board.

Voilah- you have just mastered punk rock.