Welcome to the Rock Dojo, my name is Brian Parham, and I will be your guitar sensei.
In this series, you’re going to learn how to play five of the greatest power chord songs of all-time.
First, you’ll learn why power chords are the first chord type you should know on the guitar! Plus, I’ll teach you how to play two kinds of power chords: open power chords and moveable power chords. From there, you’ll learn your first song: Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot!”
It doesn’t matter if you’re six years old or sixty-six years old. If you’re just getting started learning how to play the guitar, then this lesson is for you!
And if you stick around to the end of the video, I have a free bonus for you.
What is a Power Chord?
A power chord is a two-note chord. It built off the first and the fifth degree of any major scale. On the guitar, a fifth is one string below and two frets above. Since there is no third degree in a power chord, it’s neither major nor minor, which means you can substitute power chords for both major and minor chords. For those reasons, you can play hundreds of songs with just a few easy chord shapes. Plus, power chords sound fantastic, especially on an electric guitar with the distortion cranked up.
What is an Open Power Chord?
The first type of chord you should learn on the guitar is the open power chord because they sound fantastic. Plus, power chords are super easy to play.
Just play the open string like this. Then place your index fingers on the second fret of the D string. When you play the two strings two together, you are playing an open A power chord.
It’s identified as an open power chord because the A string is open.
Now, it would be a great time to pause the video and practice your open A string power chord.
You could also practice the open E and open D power chords. They are almost the same.
The open E power chord looks and sounds like this:
The open D power chord looks and sounds like this:
What Are Moveable Power Chords
Next, we have moveable power chords. You can create a moveable power chord by placing your index finger on the E, A, or D strings. Then, put your ring or pinky finger on the string below and two frets above like this.
In this case, I am putting my index finger on the 7th fret of the A string. Then, I am placing my ring finger on the 9th fret of the D string. When I play the two strings together, I am playing a moveable power chord.
We identify moveable power chords be the note fretted by the index finger. In this case, I’m playing an E power chord because my index finger is on the 7th fret of the A string, which is an E note.
If you don’t know the note names on the E and A strings, I hope this video will motivate you to learn them because it’s essential, especially for playing power chords. I recommend every guitarist learn the note names of the E and A strings to get started.
Why Are Power Chords So Cool?
Now that you know the two main types of power chords—open string power chords and moveable power chords—you are now ready to learn the five greatest power chord songs of all-time.
Now, “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” is up next, but please hit the thumbs up button if you like the video.
How to Play “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” on Guitar
“Hit Me with Your Best Shot” was written by Eddie Schwartz and recorded by Pat Benatar in 1980. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Charts but has since become a classic rock guitar anthem played at soccer matches and baseball games.
“Hit Me with Your Best Shot” Looks and Sounds Like this:
Make sure you click on the link below to get your free guitar course for kids. But if you’re not a kid and want to work on your guitar basics, this course is also for you. In it, you’ll learn how to hold the guitar, parts of the guitar, open strings, power chords, and so much more! Just click on the link below to sign up for the free course.
If you have a question about the guitar, leave it in the comments section, and I’ll make sure to answer it in a future video.
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And remember, every guitar master was once a beginner; the more you practice, the better you will become. ROCK!
