Starting Guitar
 

MY GUITAR IS HERE!! I'm learning chords and how to read music right now along with picking and strumming exercises. I never thought something could be so addicting but i find myself reaching for my guitar and playing every free second I have. it's sweet. Oh and does anyone know any good sites that might have online lessons or sheets with information on power chords or anything I can print out?

Everything you need to know about power chords:

Power chord is a misnomer. They are not actually chords; they are diads, but that's not terribly important. A power chord is made by playing the root note and the 5th. The most traditional way to play a power chord is with the following shape:

-
-
-
5
5
3

otherwise written 355xxx.

The note on the 6th string is the root note, in this case G. That shape can be moved anywhere up and down the neck with the root note on the 6th string or the 5th string. Examples:

D5 - x577xx or 10-12-12-x-x-x

E5 - 022xxx or x799xx

A5 - 577xxx or x022xx

By the way, that's the proper way to indicate a power chord: <root note>5.

As to your other question, I find http://www.wholenote.com to be pretty good for online lessons.

I started with www.guitar.about.com. Now I'm working through the Fretboard Logic SE book that is frequently recommended here. Also check out your local library. I've found a few good books.

chris

talk with experianced musicains as much as possable i find it true that the better ur friends are at guitar the better u will be.... thats the trueth to i'll sstand by it to my death lol

that sounds to technical, i don't know how to read music, i guess i can read tab, but you make a simple barr chord sound technical, even though they are the easiest thing.

power chords and barre chords are different my friend...though you're right...it's a very detailed look at those power 5ths.

Sure, but you try explaining it in text. ;)

Well, we're here to educate. Getting a little further then bare basics allows things to make more sense with time. I didn't think that explanation was terribly technical anyway.

yeah, they are easy, but think about all the things you know how to do with just one chord(read: diad) form. It's easy to learn the concept but there are so many things about it that you should know to make it fully usable.

Thanks for the help guys, any good tab sites you all know?

i have a related question... what would u call this chord shape

xx5785

its a G cuz thats the root but is it considered a barre chord? if u left out the high e and made it xx578x would that make it a power chord? its playing the 5th and the octave of the root..... like the description of power chords posted earlier.... i guess it prolly doesn't really matter, im just curious as to what exactly that would be called....

the first is based on the D shape...you end up playing a G2...by all technicality, the second form is a diad...though i don't know if it's really a "power chord"

As noted earlier, Gsus2.

Yes, it is a barre chord.

Yes, it would be a power chord if you left off the e string. More properly, it would be a G5.

Not a G2, because G2 technically isn't a chord (technically another diad, root + second). The proper name is Gsus9/Gsus2.

Naming chords with a 2 is usually incorrect, and often causes panic and confusion. :p Mainly because it is used too often as a misspelling of a 9, sus9, or add9 chord.

aye...i meant Gsus2...not to be confused with Gadd2.

Actually, Gadd9. Gadd2 doesn't make sense in theoretical terms. :)

i had it explained to me once that Gadd9 implied that there was also the 7th...or something about octaves...haha...i'm not that familiar with the theory behind the numerical naming of chords.

G9 implies the seventh. When the word "add" comes before the number, then you simply add that note to whatever came before it. Gadd9 would be a G major chord with an added ninth. G9 on the other hand implies every odd interval before the 9, so 1-3-5-7-9.

I'm lost in this conversation so I'll just try and look on some sites because you guys lost me a while back.

Thanks anyway though :yep: :yep: :) :)

Alex

Instead of power chords and variations why not learn simple things first,such as the open chords? Maybe they don't sound "cool" and all that,but they're easy,and you can make songs out of them. I can play the complicated chords too,the 9th's and 6th's,but there will be times when they just won't do. Start out easy and work your way up to the hader chords later.

I'm not exactly sure what it would be called but I use it a good bit. I think if you were to leave off the high e then it would be power chord. It would be the same as x101212xx which is using the root and fifth.