Power Chord - Fingering

Fingering

Perhaps the most common implementation is 1-5-1', that is, the root note, a note a fifth above the root, and a note an octave above the root. When the strings are a fourth apart, especially the lower four strings in standard tuning, the lowest note is played with some fret on some string and the higher two notes are two frets higher on the next two strings. Using standard tuning, notes on the first or second string need to be played one fret higher than this. (A bare fifth without octave doubling is the same, except that the highest of the three strings, in parentheses below, is not played. A bare fifth with the bass note on the second string has the same fingering as one on the fifth or sixth string.)

G5 A5 D5 E5 G5 A5 D5 A5 E||----------------------------------------------(10)---(5)----| B||--------------------------------(8)----(10)----10-----5-----| G||------------------(7)----(9)-----7------9------7------2-----| D||----(5)----(7)-----7------9------5------7-------------------| A||-----5------7------5------7---------------------------------| E||-----3------5-----------------------------------------------|

An inverted bare fifth, i.e. a bare fourth, can be played with one finger, as in the example below, from the riff in Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple:

G5/D Bb5/F C5/G G5/D Bb5/F Db5/Ab C5/G E||------------------------|----------------------| B||------------------------|----------------------| G||*------3---5------------|-------3---6---5------| D||*--5---3---5------------|---5---3---6---5------| A||---5--------------------|---5------------------| E||------------------------|----------------------| |-----------------------|---------------------|| |-----------------------|---------------------|| |------3---5---3---0----|--------------------*|| |---5--3---5---3---0----|--------------------*|| |---5-------------------|---------------------|| |-----------------------|---------------------||

Another implementation used is 5-1'-5', that is, a note a fourth below the root, the root note, and a note a fifth above the root. (This is sometimes called a "fourth chord", but usually the second note is taken as the root, although it's not the lowest one.) When the strings are a fourth apart, the lower two notes are played with some fret on some two strings and the highest note is two frets higher on the next string. Of course, using standard tuning, notes on the first or second string need to be played one fret higher.

D5 E5 G5 A5 D5 A5 D5 G5 E||-----------------------------------------------5------10----| B||---------------------------------10-----5------3------8-----| G||-------------------7------9------7------2-----(2)----(7)----| D||-----7------9------5------7-----(7)----(2)------------------| A||-----5------7-----(5)----(7)--------------------------------| E||----(5)----(7)----------------------------------------------|

With the drop D tuning--or any other dropped tuning for that matter—power chords with the bass on the sixth string can be played with one finger, and D power chords can be played on three open strings.

In order to maintain the alternating dominant and recessive notes, they almost never consist of more than 3 strings.

D5 E5 E||---------------- B||---------------- G||---------------- D||--0-------2----- A||--0-------2----- D||--0-------2-----

Occasionally, open, "stacked" power chords with more than three notes are used in drop D.

E||--------------------------5--- B||--3-------5-------7-------3--- G||--2-------4-------6-------2--- D||--0-------2-------4-------0--- A||--0-------2-------4-------0--- D||--0-------2-------4-------0---