Power chord fingering

[M29]

Hello,

I have been playing power chords using regular barre chord fingering with my (first and third fingers in one fingering and first, third and fourth in another) but picking mainly the two lowest, sometimes three strings. I see some using their first and fourth fingers. Is the latter the best way to finger these chords?

Thank you.

M29

[pes_laul]

Well I'm not sure if this helps but the kind I use work where you pretty much do a Open E fingering except do it with your middle, ring, and pinky fingers then use your index to bar it

So an A would look like this

5
7
7
6
5
5


or for some nice clean or acoustic try an open Barre

5
7
7
6
0
0


hope that helps

-kris

[t_ross33]

Hello,

I have been playing power chords using regular barre chord fingering with my (first and third fingers in one fingering and first, third and fourth in another) but picking mainly the two lowest, sometimes three strings. I see some using their first and fourth fingers. Is the latter the best way to finger these chords?

Thank you.

M29

I often use my index and pinky to "grab" power chords - bad habit from when I was a youngster trying to reach across 3 frets ;) Lately I've been trying to use more traditional barre fingerings and just hitting the "power" strings, but when we're on stage and rawkin', I'll just grab it anyway that works, especially towards the end of the night when my hands and fingers are getting lazy.

[Andy]

I think it would be best to leave the pinky free to augment the power chord ,
you can use the second finger to augment as well.

I can see using the pinky to barre if you use a slide on your 3rd finger as some people do

[M29]

Thanks all for the insight:AOK:

M29

[Ch0jin]

I use first and fourth, but that's a result of real bad habits. It's a LOT harder to switch from that shape to playing single notes, so if I were you I'd stick with the barre pattern way. I'm really struggling to undo years of two fingers on three strings because I can play that way all night, whereas holding a full barre shape strains my hands after 15 minutes or so.

I also discovered that if you are comfortable with the full barre shape its actually way easier to switch between power chords on the 6th string to ones on the 5th (something you need to do for like, most, power chord songs).

[M29]

Thank you Ch0jin that is very helpful. I wondered if I should learn something different but I think I will be better off doing what I have been doing.
Thanks again.

M

[thearabianmage]

When it comes to power chords, there are 3 ways to play them (assuming the root is on the 6th or 5th string)

The first way is the way you are doing it, with the first finger on the root and the third barred across the 5th and octave. That's fine.

The second is to use the index on the root, the ring on the 5th, and the pinky on the octave. This is so that you have more control over the notes you want/don't want to hit (sometimes when you bar, you fret notes that aren't meant to be)

The third is to lose the octave and use the first on the root and the pinky on the 5th. That is the metal way to play power chords, almost exclusively. The only real advantage is that when you play a really fast metal riff with loads of power chords all over the neck, it looks really cool.

Neither really have advantages or disadvantages, it's all down to personal taste. Leaving the octave in will thicken the sound. Fretting all the three notes individually can yield a clearer sound. Using the pinky on the 5th will help you use your pinky more often and maybe even build some callous on it. It's also less of a stretch to use the pinky as the average power chord is about the size of the hand with the fingers close together.

Hope this helps. . .

[M29]

Thank you thearabianmage, very helpful indeed!

M