How To Play A Power Chord On Acoustic Guitar

4 years ago
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How To Play A Power Chord On Acoustic Guitar
The same info here applies to electric guitars as well.
It is more about power than it is a chord. It is not a triad but an Interval. Up until the power chord, a triad was the minimal chord having the composition of three notes. Before the power chord, playing the two notes A and E or E and B were considered Intervals of a perfect 5th.
Since the development of the electric guitar and effects, the two note interval of a fifth on the lower, thicker strings demonstrated a loud fullness such that it resembled a full chord.
But when we take it down a notch and perform the power chord on acoustic guitar it makes another statement.
The acoustically played power chord does not need to be a driving force. It can stand alone as its own medium while conveying the intricacies that the acoustic guitar has to offer.
The application is the same as that of the electric guitar.
The first finger is placed on the lower note and the third finger is placed two frets higher on the adjacent string.
Both strings are picked as if they were one. Well, that’s how they are played on electric. But if on acoustic you feel you want to put a little gap between the two notes, you can pick them, one slightly after the other and it creates a marvelous acoustic effect.
The power chord on acoustic should be named the “No Third” chord. I know they use the “A5”, “C5” but that tends to confuse. How about “Ax3” used for acoustic purposes only.
That would be an “A chord without the 3rd” which leaves the root and the fifth.
Whatever you call it, on acoustic it has a slightly different flavor than electric.
Try the perfect Fifth on your acoustic with a lighter touch. Leave the “power” out of the power chord. Replace it with finesse. Turn the wattage concept off, give it a new light.

Try it with different variants of volume. Instead of slamming the hammer down at full volume, start at pp volume and build to a mf. Then switch strings and frets and try different keys.

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