Power chords are a only fifty or sixty years old, and can be traced back to the advent of rock and roll and blues.

Historians divide over who was the first to use the power chord. Many say that Link Wray was the first to do so in his 1958 hit song "Rumble". However, it has been later said that less popular blues guitarists Willie Johnson and Pat Hare were the true originators of the power chord. The use of power chords can be evidenced in Willie Johnson's "How Many More Years", which was recorded in 1951, and Pat Hare's "Cotton Crop Blues", which was recorded in 1954.

Later on, power chords were popularized by different musicians. The Kinks' "You Really Got Me", released in 1964, was a hit based on the use of power chords. Also, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple helped to increase the popularity of power chords.

The term "power chord" was first used by Pete Townshend of The Who.

Today, power chords are used in many kinds of music, especially versions of rock. Power chords aren't about to go away any time soon, and appear to have a bright future ahead of them.

To put it simply, power chords are chords that contain a root and fifth, but no third. This omission leads many music theorists to call power chords dyads or intervals, but guitarists refer to power chords as chords.

A dyad is a set of two notes.

An interval is the relationship between two notes.

The root is the base note of the chord, and is generally the lowest note played. For example, the root of G is G, the root of C7 is C, etc.

A third is a harmony that is three notes away from the root.

A fifth is another harmony that is five notes away from the root.

Power chords are neither major nor minor. However, they sound major or minor because our brain fills in the missing third, depending on the key of the song.

Power chords are notated 5, for example C5, because power chords only play the root and the fifth of a chord.

Power chords are usually played on electric guitar and are mostly used in overdriven electric guitar styles which include hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, etc.

When playing power chords, you will generally place your index finger on a fret on the E or A strings. Then, you place your ring finger two frets down on A or D strings, depending on which string you chose to place your index finger on. Your pinky finger goes right next to the ring finger on either the D or G strings, also depending on the root. See an image of a person playing a power chord at this link. Placing the pinky finger is not completely necessary, but most guitar players do it. It creates an octave doubling, producing a better sound.

Click here for power chord diagrams.

An octave doubling is when the same note is played twice in two different octaves. A person can accomplish multiple octave doublings when they keep adding octaves of the fifth note and the root.

When you play power chords, you will want to keep them in a middle register. If you play them too low, they sound unclear and boomy, and if you play them too high, they produce little depth or power.

A technique used by many guitarists is to use a Drop D tuning when playing power chords. To accomplish Drop D tuning, simply tune your lower E string down to a D. This allows you to bar one finger across the bottom three strings, creating an easier-to-play power chord. Different techniques can be accomplished when using Drop D tuning.

Have you got your guitar? Here comes the fun part! Let's play some fun rhythms.

A5 E5 B5 D5

B5 G5 D5 A5

E5 G5 D5 A5

D5 A5 C5 G5

G5 C5 D5 C5

There are lots more I bet you can think of. Have fun playing power chords!