How to Play 12 Types of Power Chords

If you’ve been playing simple root-fifth power chords your entire life, you’re missing out on a wealth of opportunity for power-chord voicings.

In this video, Gear Gods’ Trey Xavier shows 12 different types of power chords, including root-fifth with various drop tunings and one that’s employed on a seven-string guitar.

“If you play the guitar and you play any kind of heavy music—rock, punk, metal—then you are very familiar with the power chord,” Trey says.

“But a lot of people don’t know that there are several different kinds of power chords that you can use, and I’m gonna show you a couple of those different kinds today.”

  • Those 12 types are:
  • Basic root-fifth power chord
  • Fifth on the bottom
  • Fifth on the bottom - four notes
  • Inverted power chord
  • Add9 (sus2) power chord
  • Minor 6th power chord
  • Root-fifth, drop tuning
  • Root-fifth, drop tuning, 3 notes
  • Root-fifth, drop tuning, 4 notes
  • Root-fifth, drop tuning, 5 notes (7 string)
  • Root-fifth, drop tuning, 5 notes (6 string)
  • Add9 power chord, drop tuning

When you’re done, check out Trey’s other instructional videos on Gear Gods’ YouTube channel.

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