KVR Audio

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:34 pm

Okay I wrestle with what forum to put this in...anyhow, it could be me but I don't see the term "Power Chords" as much. Now first let me say that I define them as bar chords, usually hi-gain, and played more aggressively. My immediate reaction this question was I don't hear the term as much because I don't think about them much. The only reason I can come up with is that I relate power and bar chords more to standard tuning and tbh thinking about it I thinks it's been close to 10 years since I played anything in standard tuning. That coupled with being more involved with a lot of electronic musicians and I really don't talk music anywhere but here.

Of course in alternate tunings there are bar chords too but generally I rarely bar the neck. There are quicker ways of playing the same chords that allow me to transition into other chords, riffs, scales, bending, solos and squeals much faster. I do put a capo on my acoustic a lot in different tunings just to jam, but that's not the same thing. But playing alternate tunings really changed how I viewed the neck, instead of playing memorized chords labeled with the note my thinking is now almost exclusively in intervals and all I think about now is what key it is in.

I'm interested to know, are "Power Chords" still 'in'?

liqih · Post by **liqih** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:51 pm

for me yes, but usually I mean them as chords with no major or minor 3th, only tonics and fifths,
sometimes fourths,
power chords were born on guitar to take full advantage of extra harmonics added by distortion,
then used also on keyboards,

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:52 pm

Afaik the term "power chord" refers to "not even real" chords that only consist of root and fifth and their octaves, definitely no 3rd or 6th, they have the advantage of working well with high gain distortion.
The minute you add any other note you don't have power chords anymore (per definition) and are in danger of getting mud and nasty overtones with distortion as you certainly know.
Ymmv,
susiwong

sjm · Post by **sjm** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 6:02 pm

Agree with the above - a power chord is just playing the root and the fifth.

Often written as X5 (where X is the root) in tabs.

The term was definitely used several times when I was last jamming with the band (i.e. about 3 months ago).

susiwong · Post by **susiwong** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 6:14 pm

Another reason for their popularity is that you don't have to be careful about major, minor or other geeky crap, they are completely neutral.

Easy sailing.

Lol,
susiwong

Klemperer · Post by **Klemperer** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:02 pm

As already said, they are pretty much used (and not less than before) in the various newer metal pieces. I just listened to the music of a 18 year old boy who is a real guitar wizard, (in fact he is super-fast, and likes to show the most difficult things, if he finds them musical, it's fine with me, I don't find all err, musical^^) who constantly uses those simple power chords too. The lack of "major or minor" direction is a big plus for some pieces, you can combine quite different moods.

By the way, I found it interesting to hear that many of those metal players love church modes, which I thought only a weeeeee bit jazz-snobs would use much

.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:41 pm

Vienna Suite has compressor presets called 'power chords' for their, VSLs, 'overdrive guitar', so it's common enough currency...

I don't buy 'they're neutral', there is very present fifth harmonic aka major third if it is allowed to sustain at all.

Guitarslayer · Post by **Guitarslayer** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:41 pm

Klemperer wrote: By the way, I found it interesting to hear that many of those metal players love church modes, which I thought only a weeeeee bit jazz-snobs would use much .

What subgenre are we talking about?

I've always been playing around with the different church modes as long as I can remember. Infact, I can't recall any other "scales" metal players don't use.. (because of the wide meaning of the word metal) Sure, if we're speaking of Zakk Wylde I can understand that you believe metalheads just use the pentatonic scale

Melkor · Post by **Melkor** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:42 pm

Almost all of my muso friends are into Hardcore/Metalcore.

They all use powerchords almost exclusively, although they are fond of inverting them into "deathchords" (4th w/ an Octave on top).

Not only are they still around, they seem to get more and more popular every year.

shogger · Post by **shogger** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:02 pm

Guitarslayer wrote:
Klemperer wrote: By the way, I found it interesting to hear that many of those metal players love church modes, which I thought only a weeeeee bit jazz-snobs would use much .
What subgenre are we talking about? I've always been playing around with the different church modes as long as I can remember. Infact, I can't recall any other "scales" metal players don't use.. (because of the wide meaning of the word metal) Sure, if we're speaking of Zakk Wylde I can understand that you believe metalheads just use the pentatonic scale

Nice one!

Shogger

Melkor · Post by **Melkor** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:19 pm

Guitarslayer wrote:
Klemperer wrote: By the way, I found it interesting to hear that many of those metal players love church modes, which I thought only a weeeeee bit jazz-snobs would use much .
What subgenre are we talking about? I've always been playing around with the different church modes as long as I can remember. Infact, I can't recall any other "scales" metal players don't use.. (because of the wide meaning of the word metal) Sure, if we're speaking of Zakk Wylde I can understand that you believe metalheads just use the pentatonic scale

Im not so sure ....... the only mode, other than "Aeolian", ive seen used by metal is Phrygian, with a tiny dash of Lydian here and there when the writer wants a trippy clean intro or whatever.

Zakks an easy target because he is hairy and stupid, but anyone who can get through Randy's solos on "Mr Crowley" has a LOT more than just pent boxes up their sleeves. Trust Me

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:30 pm

Guitarslayer wrote:
Klemperer wrote: By the way, I found it interesting to hear that many of those metal players love church modes, which I thought only a weeeeee bit jazz-snobs would use much .
What subgenre are we talking about? I've always been playing around with the different church modes as long as I can remember. Infact, I can't recall any other "scales" metal players don't use.. (because of the wide meaning of the word metal) Sure, if we're speaking of Zakk Wylde I can understand that you believe metalheads just use the pentatonic scale

pentatonic whores I call them..after reading some words from Sascha Franck about the Dorian mode and I believe his dislike of the flatted 6th I have been expirimenting with Dorian (haven't recorded anything though) and do like it. I left the pentatonic back with standard tuning

Guitarslayer · Post by **Guitarslayer** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:32 pm

Melkor wrote:Im not so sure ....... the only mode, other than "Aeolian", ive seen used by metal is Phrygian, with a tiny dash of Lydian here and there when the writer wants a trippy clean intro or whatever.

Zakks an easy target because he is hairy and stupid, but anyone who can get through Randy's solos on "Mr Crowley" has a LOT more than just pent boxes up their sleeves. Trust Me

But as I said: It's a pretty large genre, so before you go ahead and "accuse" every metalhead for not using enough church modes just stop and think for a second. What metal bands have you been listening to? I'm currently overusing mixolydian atm and IMO all the church modes are really useful in the music I write. (I call it metal anyway)

Sorry for the sidetrack here! We're supposed to talk about power chords, right? Well, I mainly use these chords when I write music. So I don't think that they've done their part. Still lots of great music to be done with 'em!

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:34 pm

Guitarslayer wrote:
Melkor wrote:Im not so sure ....... the only mode, other than "Aeolian", ive seen used by metal is Phrygian, with a tiny dash of Lydian here and there when the writer wants a trippy clean intro or whatever.

Zakks an easy target because he is hairy and stupid, but anyone who can get through Randy's solos on "Mr Crowley" has a LOT more than just pent boxes up their sleeves. Trust Me
But as I said: It's a pretty large genre, so before you go ahead and "accuse" every metalhead for not using enough church modes just stop and think for a second. What metal bands have you been listening to? I'm currently overusing mixolydian atm and IMO all the church modes are really useful in the music I write. (I call it metal anyway)

Sorry for the sidetrack here! We're supposed to talk about power chords, right? Well, I mainly use these chords when I write music. So I don't think that they've done their part. Still lots of great music to be done with 'em!

if it drifts off from power chords to something else interesting it's fine by me

Melkor · Post by **Melkor** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:01 am

Guitarslayer wrote: But as I said: It's a pretty large genre, so before you go ahead and "accuse" every metalhead for not using enough church modes just stop and think for a second. What metal bands have you been listening to? I'm currently overusing mixolydian atm and IMO all the church modes are really useful in the music I write. (I call it metal anyway)

Sorry for the sidetrack here! We're supposed to talk about power chords, right? Well, I mainly use these chords when I write music. So I don't think that they've done their part. Still lots of great music to be done with 'em!

You're right, modes are used out the arse in metal, but mostly as positions of the Tonic, which is almost always Aeolian or Phrygian (often both in the same song) ... if not totally Chromatic, which is also pretty common in metal.

ie they are using mode "shapes" all over the neck, but these shapes/licks always resolve to an Aeolian or Phrygian root.

I suppose some of those "Folk-Metal/MiddleEarth-Metal" bands might use Mixolydian as a key, but it would be pretty hard to sound distinctly metal with that Major 3rd in there IMO.
Phrygian Dominant pulls off this gargantuan feat ONLY because 1)It has a b2 2) it has the Aug 2nd interval ..... which kinda knocks the M3 off of its "happy" perch a bit.

Guitarslayer wrote: What metal bands have you been listening to?

I actually listen to shitloads of metal TBH, from Van Halen right through to Mortician and Suffocation ...... old Cannibal Corpse, you name it.
Although ATM im really into Dream Evil (the band,not the song).

Its just not all i listen too

Power Chords-Antiquated Term or Still Relevant