Do you always have to hit all the notes of a chord?
 

Hi, I have a quick question, see? :D

I am playing Ozzy's Bark at the Moon now, and the question was, when you have 3 fingered chords, such as on the intro of this song (where the chords are all on the D, G and B strings), do I have to hit all 3 strings each time I play each of these chords? Almost all the time I find it automatic and really easy to hit only the D and G strings. I automatically miss the B string.

Thanks! :)

you don't absolutely have to, but it does make a difference to the listener, that's really it.

^Yeah, it does make a difference. But if you really have to, make sure you hit the root and the third of that chord. Anything else would sound ambiguous.

Just practice getting out of that automation dude. Try upstroking the strings?

Don't settle for the easy way out.

The Bark at the moon chords are just power chords with the root on the D. They look different because the B string is shifted by a semitone.
Power Chords or Fifth Chords can be played with or without the octave though it sounds fuller with it.

That's sort of like saying "I'm working on this college paper, does it matter if I finish the whole thing?" It depends on if a professor (an audience) is grading you, or if you're grading yourself.

Basically, if you want to play that song, no sense in half-assing it. Just keep practicing playing all three at once, it'll come naturally eventually. If your amp is clear and you're using decent pickups, you might be amazed how much that one note makes a difference. :)