How many notes are in a power chord?

The basic shape has just two notes: the root and a perfect 5th. Adding your pinky for an octave on the next string makes a 3-note version, but the core idea is a 2-note chord.

What does it mean that power chords have no major or minor?

The note that makes a chord sound major or minor is the 3rd. A power chord has only the root and the 5th, so the 3rd is missing entirely — the same shape works wherever a major or minor chord would normally go. That's a big reason power chords are the backbone of rock and metal rhythm guitar.

Where do I find the 5th note?

In the basic 2-note shape, it's one string down (toward the thinner strings) and two frets up from your index finger. This relationship holds between strings 6-5 and 5-4. Strings 3-2 are an exception due to standard tuning, and are outside the scope of this lesson.

Why is it called a 'movable' shape?

Because you keep the same finger shape (index-ring, or index-ring-pinky) and just slide it to a different fret. Whatever note your index finger lands on becomes the name of that power chord — index on fret 5 of string 6 (A) gives you A5, fret 1 (F) gives you F5.

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Learn Electric Guitar · Part 12

Power Chords + Palm Muting: The Start of Rock Rhythm Guitar

Any chord name with a "5" after it — G5, A5, E5 — is a power chord, the bread and butter of rock and metal rhythm guitar. It's built from just two notes (root + 5th), so learning one hand shape lets you cover the entire neck through the movable shape idea: keep the same fingers, just slide to a new fret. Add right-hand palm muting and you get that tight, chugging rock feel.

🎯 Bottom line: A power chord is a 2-note chord — root + perfect 5th (no 3rd, so no major/minor distinction). Index finger = root, ring finger = one string down + two frets up from the index. The 3-note version adds a pinky for a 3-5-5 shape (e.g. G5 = string6 fret3 - string5 fret5 - string4 fret5). Keep the same shape and slide it anywhere for the movable version of every power chord, then add palm muting (resting the edge of your picking hand near the bridge) to complete the rock rhythm.

G5 power chord shapes — left = the thick 6th string, numbers are fingers (1 = index = root · 3 = ring = 5th · 4 = pinky = octave), ✕ = don't play this string. Keep the same finger shape and just move it up or down the neck for a different power chord.

What Is a Power Chord? — Root + Perfect 5th, a Two-Note Chord

A power chord is built from just two notes: the root (the note that names the chord) and the perfect 5th above it. The key detail is what's missing — the 3rd, the note present in every ordinary major and minor chord.

The 3rd is the note that decides whether a chord sounds bright (major) or dark (minor). Since a power chord has no 3rd at all, it has no major/minor distinction. That means one G5 shape works in a spot that calls for G major and a spot that calls for G minor. That simplicity, plus a big, heavy low end, is exactly why power chords dominate distorted rock and metal rhythm guitar.

ℹ️ The technically correct term is "fifth chord," but in practice everyone calls it a power chord. It's written as the root note name followed by the number 5 (G5, A5, C5...).

Play G5 First as a 2-Note Power Chord

G5 power chord (2-note) — "3fr" means starting at fret 3. Index (1) = root G (string 6, fret 3), ring (3) = perfect 5th (string 5, fret 5). Keep the same shape and slide it to get a different power chord.

Let's start with the most basic 2-note shape. Use your index finger to fret string 6, fret 3 (G, the root), and your ring finger for string 5, fret 5 (D, the perfect 5th).

Finger	String	Fret	Note	Role
Index	6 (E)	3	G	Root
Ring	5 (A)	5	D	Perfect 5th

The rule is simple: the 5th is always one string down (toward the thinner strings) + two frets up from wherever your index finger is. String 6 fret 3 → string 5 fret 5 follows this exact pattern. It holds between strings 6-5 and strings 5-4.

💡 Pick only strings 6 and 5 — let your fretting fingers lightly brush the other strings (4, 3, 2, 1) so they mute naturally.

Expand G5 to a 3-Note Power Chord (Add the Octave)

G5 power chord (3-note) — adds the pinky (4) = octave G (string 4, fret 5) to the 2-note shape. The three fret numbers form 3-5-5.

Add your pinky on string 4, fret 5 (G, the octave) to the 2-note shape, and you get a thicker, more stable 3-note version. Written out in order, the index-ring-pinky frets form the 3-5-5 pattern.

Finger	String	Fret	Note	Role
Index	6 (E)	3	G	Root
Ring	5 (A)	5	D	Perfect 5th
Pinky	4 (D)	5	G	Octave (root)

⚠️ Common mix-up: Some sources describe the pinky as landing on string 4, fret 4 for the 3-note extension. Cross-checking against the octave relationship and the standard power chord shape shows the correct fret is string 4, fret 5. For G5: string 6 fret 3 (G) - string 5 fret 5 (D) - string 4 fret 5 (G, octave), giving the 3-5-5 pattern. Fretting string 4 fret 4 instead gives you a different note, not the octave G, and the chord will sound wrong.

The Movable Shape: Find Every Power Chord

The biggest advantage of power chords is that they're movable. Keep the same finger shape (index-ring, or index-ring-pinky) and just slide it to a new fret — whatever note your index finger lands on names the power chord. Use the string 6 and string 5 fretboard notes you already memorized from the fretboard notes lesson.

Fret	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
String 6 root	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C	C#	D	D#	E
Power chord	E5	F5	F#5	G5	G#5	A5	A#5	B5	C5	C#5	D5	D#5	E5

Fret	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
String 5 root	A	A#	B	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A
Power chord	A5	A#5	B5	C5	C#5	D5	D#5	E5	F5	F#5	G5	G#5	A5

For example, index finger on string 6, fret 5 (A) gives you A5; fret 1 (F) gives you F5. The same logic applies on string 5 — the note under your index finger is the chord's name.

Palm Muting — Build the Chugging Rock Rhythm

Palm muting is a picking-hand technique: rest the edge of your picking hand (the side near your pinky) lightly on the strings near the bridge to get that "chugging" sound. Combine palm muting with power chords and you get the tight, punchy rhythm that defines rock and metal.

Two things matter most: where your hand rests and how hard you press. Too close to the bridge and you get almost no mute; too far toward the neck and the sound dies completely. Work within about 1-2cm in front of the bridge, nudging your hand position bit by bit until you find the sweet spot where the chug stays alive. Pressing slightly harder increases the mute and lowers the volume; pressing slightly lighter does the opposite.

💡 Start by chugging steady eighth notes on a single string-6 power chord (E5, G5, etc.). Practicing all-downstroke with a metronome builds the feel fastest.

5-Step Practice Plan: Power Chords + Palm Muting

Understand the power chord shape

First understand that a power chord is built from just two notes: the root and the perfect 5th. With no 3rd, there's no major/minor distinction, so one shape works anywhere a chord is needed.

Play G5 as a 2-note shape

Index finger on string 6, fret 3 (G, the root); ring finger on string 5, fret 5 (D, the perfect 5th). Drill the rule: the 5th is one string down + two frets up from the index finger.

Expand G5 to a 3-note shape

Add your pinky on string 4, fret 5 (G, the octave). Check that your index-ring-pinky frets form 3-5-5 (fret 5, not fret 4, on string 4).

Find other power chords with the movable shape

Keep the same finger shape and just slide it. Move between string 6 and string 5 roots and work through A5, F5, C5, D5 and more.

Add palm muting for rock rhythm

Rest the edge of your picking hand lightly on the strings near the bridge for a chugging sound. Practice steady eighth-note downstrokes with a metronome.

🥁 Lock in the rhythm with the metronome →

Practice With MuseDrill's Free Tools

Once you've learned the power chord shapes, use the fretboard trainer to confirm root positions, then lock in your palm-muted rhythm with the metronome.

🎸 Open the fretboard trainer → 🥁 Open the metronome → See all electric guitar practice tools →

FAQ

How many notes are in a power chord?: The basic shape has just two notes: the root and a perfect 5th. Adding your pinky for an octave on the next string makes a 3-note version, but the core idea is a 2-note chord.
What does it mean that power chords have no major or minor?: The note that makes a chord sound major or minor is the 3rd. A power chord has only the root and the 5th, so the 3rd is missing entirely — the same shape works wherever a major or minor chord would normally go. That's a big reason power chords are the backbone of rock and metal rhythm guitar.
Where do I find the 5th note?: In the basic 2-note shape, it's one string down (toward the thinner strings) and two frets up from your index finger. This relationship holds between strings 6-5 and 5-4. Strings 3-2 are an exception due to standard tuning, and are outside the scope of this lesson.
Why is it called a "movable" shape?: Because you keep the same finger shape (index-ring, or index-ring-pinky) and just slide it to a different fret. Whatever note your index finger lands on becomes the name of that power chord — index on fret 5 of string 6 (A) gives you A5, fret 1 (F) gives you F5.
My palm muting kills the sound completely — what's wrong?: If the edge of your hand sits too close to the bridge, you get almost no mute; too far toward the neck, the sound dies completely. Work within about 1-2cm in front of the bridge, nudging your hand position until you find the sweet spot where the chugging tone stays alive, then fine-tune with how hard you press.

Practice the rhythm with the free metronome →
See the full 23-part curriculum →

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