Power chords are the backbone of rock and roll, driving some of the most iconic guitar riffs ever created. Think of the raw energy in songs like “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath, the catchy punch of “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar, or the grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana – all built on the power of power chords. But what exactly is a power chord, and how can you unlock their sound on your guitar?
Essentially, a power chord is a simplified chord made up of just two distinct notes. Musically, it’s identified by the number “5” because it uses the 1st and 5th notes from a major scale. You’ll often see power chords written with a “5” next to the root note, like this:
To understand how to build a power chord, let’s look at a major scale. Take the C major scale as an example. The notes in a C5 power chord are derived from the 1st note (the root) and the 5th note of this scale:
Notice that the octave of the root note is often played as part of the power chord as well. This means that when you play a C5 chord, you can play the C and G notes in various octaves across your guitar neck, and it will still be recognized as a C5 power chord. The key is the root and the interval of the fifth.
To discover the notes for any power chord, you’ll need to know the notes of its corresponding major scale. For instance, if you want to find the notes in a G5 power chord, you would need to reference the G major scale and identify its 1st and 5th notes.
The beauty of power chords lies in their straightforward formula. The name of the power chord itself tells you exactly how to construct it: use the root note indicated and the 5th note of the major scale starting on that root. This simple structure is what makes power chords so versatile and powerful in guitar music.
