...Gw I. Learn the Notes...	Welcome to Guitarweek! Get Involved, Support this stuff!... ----------------
Guitar Lessons | Piano Lessons | Bass Sites | Guitar Sites | Tab Sites Flash Lessons - Video Lessons - Chords - Songs - Music Teachers

GW Home | Register | Login

Catching Up II...

   Power chords are the root of all chords with the exception of the (VII.) diminished, This means there are six power chords for each key. If you analyze one power chord by itself then there is no way to determine if it is major or minor because it can be either, The power chord uses the (1st and 5th) of a basic chord and is often noted with a number five (x5). The six power chords in the Key of C are (C5 - D5 - E5 - F5 - G5 - A5), If you use the power chord theory on the (VII. B) then you would be using a tone that is not in the Key of C...

   The 'power chords' are the easiest to 'barre' for just about anyone which is one reason to learn them, The other reason is because they are the 'root chord' of most every chord. The (C5) or C power can be found in the keys (Ab - Eb - Bb - F - C - G) which is 6 of the 12 keys, In three of the keys the C5 is the root of Cminor and in the other three it is the root of Cmajor...

   The 'one' place where it is not a power chord is the diminished chord, The 'power chord' on the VII. position (B5) has a flattened(b) five(5) or a sharp(#) one(1) depending on how you look at the chord. The diminished power chord (b5) is the window to the two keys next it (Key of F - Key of G), The two (2) tones that take you to the other keys are Bb and F#.

These are NOT power chords...

   The (B-b5) is one tone away from (Bb-5) and one tone away from (B5), You would either move the b's down one fret or move the f's up one fret. Remember that you are in the Key of C so moving the b's down would be changing to the Key of F, and moving the f's up would changing to the Key of G...

   The power chord is the 'base' to all of the major, minor and suspended chords which is what makes them so powerful, If you take one power chord like the (C5) then any tone you add to it will change it to another chord...

The C5 or C power chord contains (C and G), That means there are only 10 other tones that you could possibly add. Below we show what chord occurs when you add any of the tones left over, The tones added that are in the Key of C are boldened...

   We started out in the Key of C but It appears that the (C5) makes a stronger (C minor) than it does a (C major), This only because if you put the five keys shown above in order then the "Key of Bb" is the key right in the middle. There really is not a 'major power' or a 'minor power' chord and there are not that many 'power chord shapes' so learning them is not difficult, The power chord is the base of most every chord which is the most important...

   Another form of power chords are Inverted Power Chords...