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Power Chords?

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(@chlozo)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 94
Topic starter  

What are they? Is there a certain way to strum them?

Also, is a G# a G major and so on?

How could I learn to change chords more quickly?

And finally, whats more accurate, tabs or chords?
cheers.


Billie-Joe Armstrong is HOT! He's my future husband. Ha ;)


   
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(@musenfreund)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5108
 

Check out these lessons to get the hang of power chords:

Before You Accuse Me and Going to Kansas City. You'll also learn the basics of the 12 bar blues there.
You can strum them with all downstrokes or with up and downstrokes.

A G# is a half step higher than a G, i.e. a G sharp.

You'll change chords more quickly as muscle memory takes over and you stop thinking about changing chords. Oncce you've played a chord change 527 times it gets easier.

Tabs or chords? Both can be accurate or inaccurate depending on who's done the transcription. Tab can show you lead riffs and the like whereas chords will show you only the chords.

Hope that helps!

Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

Chlozo,

I think there's another post about power chords you can read the explanation there.

As for G# and G major they are not the same. The G# is the designation for G - sharp whoich would be played a half step up from where you'd play the G major.

As for tabs/chords not sure what you mean that aren't really the same thing. If you are given the chords to a song that's usually the rhythm part only and a lot of tab is just that, the chords for the song. Some tab is better than others and may include some riffs and maybe the solo or intro.

But there is tab that in my opinion is alot better than the "normal" tab you'll find and that is Guitar pro tab or Powertab. These tabs usually are much more correct and in alot of cases someone just transcribed from an actual songbook.

The good thing about those tabs i sthat you can download the software free for each and it will allow you to play a midi file of the song. This is really great for practicing and I would recommend either.

Hope that helps.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@blackzerogsh)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 759
 

What are they? Is there a certain way to strum them?

Also, is a G# a G major and so on?

How could I learn to change chords more quickly?

And finally, whats more accurate, tabs or chords?
cheers.

1- Power chords are simple chords that can be used, they are moveable around the neck. All you hit is the 3 strings that youre forming the chord on. They are always fretted the same way such as:

String 1--------------------------------------------
String 2-----------------------------------4--------
String 3---------------------------5-------4-------
String 4---------8------7---------5-------2-------
String 5---------8------7---------3----------------
String 6---------6------5--------------------------

You can place them anywhere you want as long as they fit the format. You can strum them however you feel like, I've seen acoustic songs enitrely made of power chords.

2- Don't know, sorry

3- Just keep practicing them, over time, you probably won't notice it but you'll be able to change quicker. For practice, you could play a bunch of chords after each other with 4 downstrokes to help practice such as: E, C, A, D, Em, F, G, Cadd9, over and over.

4- Well, tabs are an easier way to learn how to play songs, but it would be better if you could learn how to read music. I personally use tabs for guitar, but I use sheet music in school where I play the orchestraL bass. Im not sure I undertsnad your question, because many tabs write out the chords for you.

I hope some of that helped.


   
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 ct22
(@ct22)
Active Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 8
 

My teacher teaching me power chords but i heard there for alot of rock, but i'll be playing pop music mainly so i aint even interesting in it, wonder if i should still know it


   
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(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

Yes, you should. You'll find them in pop, blues, rock, metal and other genres. Really a very basic 'chord' you most definitely should learn.


   
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(@greybeard)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5840
 

Judge for yourself:

Power chord
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
X-X-X-7-7-9-9-9
7-7-7-5-5-7-7-7
5-5-5-X-X-X-X

Real chord
5-5-5-5-5-7-7-7
5-5-5-7-7-9-9-9
6-6-6-7-7-9-9-9
7-7-7-7-7-9-9-9
7-7-7-5-5-7-7-7
5-5-5-5-5-7-7-7

The song is Louie Louie, by the way.

I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
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(@xxrhixx)
Active Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 9
 

What are they? Is there a certain way to strum them?

Also, is a G# a G major and so on?

How could I learn to change chords more quickly?

And finally, whats more accurate, tabs or chords?
cheers.

i only just started guitar but ive found that when reading chords for a song the person will use tab to show the fingerings, but also show the lead in tab, although i think notation is better as it shows the length of notes etc.

and G# is a half-step up from G so they are different notes.

also. practise is the only way to get better at chord changes, iv not been playing very long but i seem to be picking up up quite well, just get used to two or three chords and switch between slowly them whilst strumming and gradually pick up speed.

hope this helps :D


   
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(@patrick)
Reputable Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 138
 

Oncce you've played a chord change 527 times it gets easier.
I've found that any one specific chord change (like C to G and back to C...over and over again) took me at least several thousand repetitions to get decent at it. It just takes time and patience. And a metronome.


   
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