Guitar technique lesson
How to Play Power Chords
Power chords use the root and fifth, often doubled at the octave. Their neutral quality remains clear under distortion and makes them easy to move around the neck.
Step by step
Build the movement correctly
- 1
Place the first finger on the root note.
- 2
Add the fifth two frets higher on the next string.
- 3
Optionally add the octave beside the fifth.
- 4
Mute every unused string with the fretting and picking hands.
Practice exercise
Move E5, G5, A5 and C5 in quarter notes, then repeat with palm-muted eighth notes.
Rule: increase the tempo only when the movement stays relaxed and every repetition sounds the same.
Common mistake
Unwanted open strings are the main source of noise. Treat muting as part of the chord shape, not an optional extra.