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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 5:21 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
Power chords in the right songs will sound great.

In the wrong songs, not.


Yeah, there's nothing wrong with power chords. I just would make sure I could use full chords just as well. They do actually come in handy.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:25 pm
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To me power chords hold you back if that's all you use. Branch out some, try to play some full chords with not as much distortion. I think a bunch of beginning and younger players crank the gain and distortion way up to 10, and you'd be surprised how little distortion your influences actually use.

Full chords can sound good on any guitar, regardless of pickups, they just tend to not sound as good with full breakup from the distortion circuits on amps.


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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:27 pm
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ThatGuitarGuyAL wrote:
To me power chords hold you back if that's all you use. Branch out some, try to play some full chords with not as much distortion. I think a bunch of beginning and younger players crank the gain and distortion way up to 10, and you'd be surprised how little distortion your influences actually use.

Full chords can sound good on any guitar, regardless of pickups, they just tend to not sound as good with full breakup from the distortion circuits on amps.


Couldn't agree more. Full chords sound fine with humbuckers as long as you don't use so much gain that it just turns muddy. Jimmy Page anyone? He didn't use today ultra gain amps, used full chords with humbuckers and did just fine.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:32 pm
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Well, look at AC/DC. All Angus young uses is power chords. I like power chords they sound kinda in-your-face when used right, as opposed to epon chords. I still do like my oopen chords though. 8)


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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:37 pm
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It just occurred to me that Skynyrd hardly ever used power chords (as far as I know, someone correct me if needed) and played a lot of their stuff through some moderate distortion, and they all have some amazing tone, as do ZZ Top, and 3 Doors Down, and they tend to not use power chords either (with limited exceptions).


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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:48 pm
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"Power Chord" is a colloquialisms for a Root-Fifth Diatone, used extensively by Rythym Guitarists in the early Big Band and Swing era, and by Musicians in general since the Renaissance. "Power Chord" is a term invented by "Guitar Teachers" of the 70's.

Playing Root-Fifth Diatones doesn't make or break a guitarist. As long as you know when to use them. Approach the instrument as a Student with an Open Mind, and Ditch as many Pre-Conceptions as you can.

And as far as Jumping from string to string, If your having trouble with your Picking hand, start arpeggiating chords for about two hours a day. If your having trouble with your fretting hand, run through your pentatonic scale in every key for a couple hours a day.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:50 pm
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No one I knew ever used power chords when I was learning in the 70's. We'd have considered it cheating. I don't even remember seeing anyone use them till the hair bands of the 80's.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:00 pm
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cryingstrat wrote:
No one I knew ever used power chords when I was learning in the 70's. We'd have considered it cheating. I don't even remember seeing anyone use them till the hair bands of the 80's.

Um, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Yardbirds, Amboy Dukes (Journey To The Center Of Your Mind is a practice in Power Chording), Zeppelin (Whole Lotta Love Starts off Root Fifth, Then adss the Third on the first repeat).

I was going to say "Guitar Teachers Of The '80s" but I fugured they fired that stuff up about '78 or '79, with the "Teachers" that would show kids Van Halen or Sabbath without showing them music. I have a 'Thing" against those "Teachers". But I should have said Late '70's-80's.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:03 pm
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FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
No one I knew ever used power chords when I was learning in the 70's. We'd have considered it cheating. I don't even remember seeing anyone use them till the hair bands of the 80's.

Um, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Yardbirds, Amboy Dukes (Journey To The Center Of Your Mind is a practice in Power Chording), Zeppelin (Whole Lotta Love Starts off Root Fifth, Then adss the Third on the first repeat).

I was going to say "Guitar Teachers Of The '80s" but I fugured they fired that stuff up about '78 or '79, with the "Teachers" that would show kids Van Halen or Sabbath without showing them music. I have a 'Thing" against those "Teachers". But I should have said Late '70's-80's.


Back then we just used full chords. Didn't even know what a power chord was. I'm sure some were using them back then though. I still use full chords to this day. Even if I use a "powerchord" I still make the whole chord and pick accordingly.

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Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:10 pm
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cryingstrat wrote:
FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
No one I knew ever used power chords when I was learning in the 70's. We'd have considered it cheating. I don't even remember seeing anyone use them till the hair bands of the 80's.

Um, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Yardbirds, Amboy Dukes (Journey To The Center Of Your Mind is a practice in Power Chording), Zeppelin (Whole Lotta Love Starts off Root Fifth, Then adss the Third on the first repeat).

I was going to say "Guitar Teachers Of The '80s" but I fugured they fired that stuff up about '78 or '79, with the "Teachers" that would show kids Van Halen or Sabbath without showing them music. I have a 'Thing" against those "Teachers". But I should have said Late '70's-80's.


Back then we just used full chords. Didn't even know what a power chord was. I'm sure some were using them back then though. I still use full chords to this day. Even if I use a "powerchord" I still make the whole chord and pick accordingly.

I hate to be the one to let you in on it, but no matter how you hold your hand, if you played Root-Fifth, it's a power chord. The Power Chord is one of the many things Pete Towsend lays claim to. It's been a staple in rock since the fuzz face. It's Been a Staple In Jazz since the '20s, and a Staple in Classical Music since Brahms.

I leave you with one prime example, Iron Man. Watch Iomi play it. You'll see Power Chords from the back row.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:39 pm
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FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
No one I knew ever used power chords when I was learning in the 70's. We'd have considered it cheating. I don't even remember seeing anyone use them till the hair bands of the 80's.

Um, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Yardbirds, Amboy Dukes (Journey To The Center Of Your Mind is a practice in Power Chording), Zeppelin (Whole Lotta Love Starts off Root Fifth, Then adss the Third on the first repeat).

I was going to say "Guitar Teachers Of The '80s" but I fugured they fired that stuff up about '78 or '79, with the "Teachers" that would show kids Van Halen or Sabbath without showing them music. I have a 'Thing" against those "Teachers". But I should have said Late '70's-80's.


Back then we just used full chords. Didn't even know what a power chord was. I'm sure some were using them back then though. I still use full chords to this day. Even if I use a "powerchord" I still make the whole chord and pick accordingly.

I hate to be the one to let you in on it, but no matter how you hold your hand, if you played Root-Fifth, it's a power chord. The Power Chord is one of the many things Pete Towsend lays claim to. It's been a staple in rock since the fuzz face. It's Been a Staple In Jazz since the '20s, and a Staple in Classical Music since Brahms.

I leave you with one prime example, Iron Man. Watch Iomi play it. You'll see Power Chords from the back row.


Well yeah, if I'm only attacking the root and fifth it's a power chord no matter how many other strings I have fretted. I guess the fact that I've never liked metal plays into it. Even back in the days of Sabbath. I never was a fan. Sabbath bored me. Too simple, I was into the intricacies of YES, Genesis, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra. Prog and Fusion. I was such a snob. :lol: When guys were bragging about rock guitarists I'd point out Allan Holdsworth or John McLaughlin.

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"is that a real poncho...i mean
Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:56 pm
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cryingstrat wrote:
FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
No one I knew ever used power chords when I was learning in the 70's. We'd have considered it cheating. I don't even remember seeing anyone use them till the hair bands of the 80's.

Um, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Yardbirds, Amboy Dukes (Journey To The Center Of Your Mind is a practice in Power Chording), Zeppelin (Whole Lotta Love Starts off Root Fifth, Then adss the Third on the first repeat).

I was going to say "Guitar Teachers Of The '80s" but I fugured they fired that stuff up about '78 or '79, with the "Teachers" that would show kids Van Halen or Sabbath without showing them music. I have a 'Thing" against those "Teachers". But I should have said Late '70's-80's.


Back then we just used full chords. Didn't even know what a power chord was. I'm sure some were using them back then though. I still use full chords to this day. Even if I use a "powerchord" I still make the whole chord and pick accordingly.

I hate to be the one to let you in on it, but no matter how you hold your hand, if you played Root-Fifth, it's a power chord. The Power Chord is one of the many things Pete Towsend lays claim to. It's been a staple in rock since the fuzz face. It's Been a Staple In Jazz since the '20s, and a Staple in Classical Music since Brahms.

I leave you with one prime example, Iron Man. Watch Iomi play it. You'll see Power Chords from the back row.


Well yeah, if I'm only attacking the root and fifth it's a power chord no matter how many other strings I have fretted. I guess the fact that I've never liked metal plays into it. Even back in the days of Sabbath. I never was a fan. Sabbath bored me. Too simple, I was into the intricacies of YES, Genesis, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra. Prog and Fusion. I was such a snob. :lol: When guys were bragging about rock guitarists I'd point out Allan Holdsworth or John McLaughlin.

I was on the Metal Avoidance path, too. I took the Blues/Classic Rock way around. Genesis never did anything for em, but I was listening to Yes, Rush, and Kansass, while learning SRV, Willie Dixon, Albert Collins. That way I could have a smooth transition into the more complicated stuff as i got better. Not to mention the Surf, Elvis, Carl Perckins, and such that I learned from my Dad

All the while, my peers are learning a Metalica song-per-lesson, at $20 buck a shot, and they have no Idea what a Minor is, or why a 7th is a 7th. But they know a Powerchord is Cool, and chicks dig "Battery". I didn't get into metal until Pantera, after Highschool. Then a drummer freind got me into Dream Theater, and My brother got Rust In Peace and "Lucerita" just Snagged me.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:57 pm
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Kurt Cobain played a lot of power chords. Look where that got him.



okay, I'm going to hell for that one


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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 8:00 pm
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Say "Hi" to him when you meet him.

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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 8:06 pm
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FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
FirstMeasure wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
No one I knew ever used power chords when I was learning in the 70's. We'd have considered it cheating. I don't even remember seeing anyone use them till the hair bands of the 80's.

Um, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Yardbirds, Amboy Dukes (Journey To The Center Of Your Mind is a practice in Power Chording), Zeppelin (Whole Lotta Love Starts off Root Fifth, Then adss the Third on the first repeat).

I was going to say "Guitar Teachers Of The '80s" but I fugured they fired that stuff up about '78 or '79, with the "Teachers" that would show kids Van Halen or Sabbath without showing them music. I have a 'Thing" against those "Teachers". But I should have said Late '70's-80's.


Back then we just used full chords. Didn't even know what a power chord was. I'm sure some were using them back then though. I still use full chords to this day. Even if I use a "powerchord" I still make the whole chord and pick accordingly.

I hate to be the one to let you in on it, but no matter how you hold your hand, if you played Root-Fifth, it's a power chord. The Power Chord is one of the many things Pete Towsend lays claim to. It's been a staple in rock since the fuzz face. It's Been a Staple In Jazz since the '20s, and a Staple in Classical Music since Brahms.

I leave you with one prime example, Iron Man. Watch Iomi play it. You'll see Power Chords from the back row.


Well yeah, if I'm only attacking the root and fifth it's a power chord no matter how many other strings I have fretted. I guess the fact that I've never liked metal plays into it. Even back in the days of Sabbath. I never was a fan. Sabbath bored me. Too simple, I was into the intricacies of YES, Genesis, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra. Prog and Fusion. I was such a snob. :lol: When guys were bragging about rock guitarists I'd point out Allan Holdsworth or John McLaughlin.

I was on the Metal Avoidance path, too. I took the Blues/Classic Rock way around. Genesis never did anything for em, but I was listening to Yes, Rush, and Kansass, while learning SRV, Willie Dixon, Albert Collins. That way I could have a smooth transition into the more complicated stuff as i got better. Not to mention the Surf, Elvis, Carl Perckins, and such that I learned from my Dad

All the while, my peers are learning a Metalica song-per-lesson, at $20 buck a shot, and they have no Idea what a Minor is, or why a 7th is a 7th. But they know a Powerchord is Cool, and chicks dig "Battery". I didn't get into metal until Pantera, after Highschool. Then a drummer freind got me into Dream Theater, and My brother got Rust In Peace and "Lucerita" just Snagged me.


Dream Theater impressed me too. Kinda like the last gasp of Prog. I didn't get into the blues till my late 30's. Time for some grown up music. Blues, jazz, swing...fun stuff. I loved Kansas and Rush too. I like bands that were stretching the definition of what rock was or could be. Then came MTV and overnight all that mattered was image. Labels adopted "The Formula" and anyone who didn't fit never get heard. It was a sad time for me.

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Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


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