How to Play Power Chords for Beginners | Guitar Tricks

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In this Guitar Tricks lesson, Gary breaks down everything you need to know about power chords on guitar, showing how to play them all over the neck using every string. Power chords are essential in rock guitar playing and have been the foundation of iconic bands like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, and Green Day. They’re easy to learn and incredibly versatile, making them perfect for beginner guitarists and experienced players alike.

A power chord, also known as a 5 chord, includes only two notes: the root note and the fifth. This stripped-down shape leaves out the third, making power chords sound neither major nor minor. You can also add an octave for a fuller, more aggressive tone, a technique widely used in punk rock, metal, and alternative guitar riffs.

Gary starts by showing how to build power chords with roots on the low E string, then moves up the neck to demonstrate how to shift the same chord shape to create progressions. He also covers muting techniques, which are crucial for getting a clean, punchy tone when strumming aggressively. Using your first finger to mute unwanted strings allows for more freedom and precision in your rhythm playing.

From there, Gary explores power chords with roots on the A string, D string, G string, B string, and even the high E string, each time showing the right finger positioning and movement formulas (e.g., “over two, down one”) for finding the fifth and octave. He highlights various finger shapes and chord voicings, including easy shapes like fifth-on-bottom and root-on-top power chords that are great for beginners.

If you're looking to master guitar power chords, improve your rock rhythm guitar skills, or write your own guitar riffs, this is a must-watch. Check out Guitar Tricks for more in-depth online guitar lessons and subscribe for weekly tips and tutorials.

In this guitar lesson, learn how to play power chords for beginners. Gary will show you a number of different power chords, and how to play them all over the fret board.

A power chord is technically called a 5th chord, and 5th chords only use two notes. They're called 5th chords because the chords are made up of the root note and the 5th. For example, an C5, or C power chord only uses the C and a G. C is the root note and the G is the 5th note of the C major scale.

Power chords are usually played on amplified guitars, or electric guitars. Power chords are also very popular in musical genres like rock, metal, punk and even blues.

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