food1010

A power chord technically is not a chord. However, it is beneficial to think of them as segments of chords. For example, an E5 in the key of E major is really an implied E major chord, or I in roman numeral notation.

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chronowarp

I'm going to write a book about power chords.

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bondmorkret

Depends on the scenario, generally without the doubled octave for me, but for huge sounding riffs it can be cool to add the octave, and even the 5th below the root. In fact you can create a sus4 type of chord right across all 6 strings which sounds intense as a powerchord replacement

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Hail

what if i told you

the bass adds another octave below the power chord

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fanapathy

I think it's interesting that some bands have one guitar play the power chord with octave and the other plays the 5th with octave. It sounds damn good sometimes.

I am still puzzled why fuller chords generally don't sound good and usually aren't played with distortion. Often it seems if full chords are used they are divided among several tracks which play 2-max 4 notes each. Is it more to get the higher notes on thicker strings?

Hail

no, people with shit tone just don't know how to play with lower distortion. almost every big modern metal band utilizes large chords these days

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chronowarp

Because distortion makes the overtones louder, and you get mud city with the more shit you cram into that space.

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gunsnroses#1

The octave shouldn't "muddy" a the power chord or make it uneven unless your guitar is out of tune, it's the same note as the root.

sweetdude3000

Thanks for all. I was wondering why I saw some tab with Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath with the octave in the power chord, but it's probably wrong. I think the three notes has it's place, but the root and fifth only helps bring out the power of the perfect fifth sound and lengthy an edgy character, while the octave doesn't really muddy it, per se, I think rounds it out more. Muddy would probably be like adding the 3rd with distortion.

ETA: Guess it's semantics though. Yea I think that octave does give more overtones so then it gives a muddy character. A major chord with an octave note is probably even more muddy.

MaggaraMarine

I think power chords with octave are more used than power chords without octave. If you want to emphasize the fifth more, you don't play the octave.

I almost always play power chords with an octave.

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Sleepy__Head

Not so fast, my fine foody friend.

A chord is any time more than one note sounds in unison.

I know, I know we tend to think of chords as triads, but still ...

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Sleepy__Head

All notes have overtones, but the overtones for the octaves are more likely to agree with each other than an octave plus a fifth, and a third is even less likely to agree.

Octave displacement of the root will just thicken the sound, while the fifth will round it out a bit more.

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chronowarp

If it's less than three, then it's a harmonic interval.

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Hydra150

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chronowarp

Certainly not me, kind sir.

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AeolianWolf

to everyone who says a chord needs to be three or more notes:

you're absolutely right, carry on.

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Sleepy__Head

And also a chord.

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chronowarp

Nah bro, a chord is three or more pitches.

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20Tigers

What he said.

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Explaining Modes part 1
Explaining Modes part 2 (continued)