Guitar Question: Sharp and Flat Power Chords

[Nobody Special]

I've only been playing guitar for a short time and am mostly self-taught. I cannot, however, figure out how to play sharp and flat power chords.

Here is an A power chord:
|-------|
|-------|
|-------|
|---7---|
|---7---|
|---5---|

What would an A flat and A sharp look like?

[neuroman]

-
-
-
6
6
4
(A flat)

-
-
-
8
8
6
(A#)

You're just shifting up or down half a step to change the chord.

[neuroman]

To elaborate further, in an A flat power chord, the notes are

A flat - 4th fret on E string
E flat - 6th fret on A string (the "fifth" of A flat)
A flat - 6th fret on D string (one octave up from the first note)

The difference between a power chord and a normal chord is that there is no "third" note in a power chord.

Try a google search on guitar theory or music theory to learn more about chord construction, scales, etc. You might find it interesting/helpful.

[Capt. Ridley's Shooting Party]

Is a power chord actually a chord?

[Complex Conjugate]

Is a power chord actually a chord?

Well what is a chord? as written there it is actually not A, but A5.

[Jeff Olson]

Is a power chord actually a chord?
Yes. Any two or more notes played at together is a chord.

[Capt. Ridley's Shooting Party]

According to chord chemistry, more than one interval.

[bughunter]

Fortunately, power chords are a dime a dozen, universally interchangeable, and haven't changed since the original IBM PC was introduced in 1980.

What?

Oh.

Never mind.

[Richard Pearse]

Is a power chord actually a chord?

I don't think so. It's just an alternative name for a 5th.

[DooWahDiddy]

Yes. Any two or more notes played at together is a chord.

Technically, it takes three notes to make a chord, not two. Two notes together would just be called "harmony" or whatever the interval is (i.e. "a fifth" or "an octave").

To the OP: Just remember that every fret on a guitar is equivalent to a half-step (the smallest interval that we use) on the piano. So if I wanted to play every half-step on the piano I would play every single note on it, black and white. So like neuroman said, going from a natural chord like "A" to a flat chord like "A-flat" simply means moving everything down a fret, and going sharp just means you go up one fret.

[Nobody Special]

Thanks for the replies. It makes sense that the half step between G and A would be either an G# or A-flat.

Is there something else I'm missing, though, because it really doesn't sound right. What I'm fiddling* around with is playing D-A-G open chords and then moving to the same progression as power chords, but the A-flat seems off.

Just to make sure that it's not the open A-flat that I'm screwing up, here's what I'm playing:

-
1
2
2
-
-

Thanks again. I'll include all of you in the liner notes of my first blockbuster album.

* Is is possible to fiddle on a guitar?

[Bruce_Daddy]

Thanks for the replies. It makes sense that the half step between G and A would be either an G# or A-flat.

Is there something else I'm missing, though, because it really doesn't sound right. What I'm fiddling* around with is playing D-A-G open chords and then moving to the same progression as power chords, but the A-flat seems off.

Just to make sure that it's not the open A-flat that I'm screwing up, here's what I'm playing:

-
1
2
2
-
-

Thanks again. I'll include all of you in the liner notes of my first blockbuster album.

* Is is possible to fiddle on a guitar?

That's an A minor. A major is:

-
2
2
2
-
-

And yes, fiddle away!

[Complex Conjugate]

That looks like A minor to me.

Thanks for the replies. It makes sense that the half step between G and A would be either an G# or A-flat.

Is there something else I'm missing, though, because it really doesn't sound right. What I'm fiddling* around with is playing D-A-G open chords and then moving to the same progression as power chords, but the A-flat seems off.

Just to make sure that it's not the open A-flat that I'm screwing up, here's what I'm playing:

-
1
2
2
-
-

Thanks again. I'll include all of you in the liner notes of my first blockbuster album.

* Is is possible to fiddle on a guitar?

[Nobody Special]

First, I made a mistake in my follow-up post. I meant to say that I've been playing D—A-flat—G open chords.

Here's where get really confused: An A-minor is different than an A-flat, right? Then how do I play an A-minor as a power chord?

[Complex Conjugate]

First, I made a mistake in my follow-up post. I meant to say that I've been playing D—A-flat—G open chords.

Here's where get really confused: An A-minor is different than an A-flat, right? Then how do I play an A-minor as a power chord?

The answer is you don't reall, as fom what I understand power chords are only include 5th, so there is no difference between A5 and Am5.

[Gary T]

The notes in an A major chord ("A") are A, C#, & E (1st, 3rd, & 5th notes of an A major scale.)

The notes in an A minor chord ("Am") are A, C, & E (1st, flatted 3rd, & 5th notes of an A major scale).

The notes in an A "power chord" are A & E (1st & 5th notes of an A major scale).

As you can see, the difference between A and Am is between a natural 3rd note of the scale and a flatted 3rd note of the scale. Since the power chord eliminates the 3rd note altogether, it has neither major nor minor characteristics.

The notes in an Ab major chord ("Ab") are Ab, C, & Eb (1st, 3rd, & 5th notes of an Ab major scale).

The notes in an Ab power chord are Ab & Eb (1st & 5th notes of an Ab major scale).

I don't know what you're playing, but it's very common to have the chords D, G, & A in a song, either in the key of D or the key of A. It's also fairly common to have the chords D, G, & Am in a song in the key of G. It's quite uncommon to have the chords D, G, & Ab in a song. Are you sure you want the Ab and not the A or Am?

[Nobody Special]

Good lord, I think I'm in over my head! Let me see if I've got this right:

The notes in an A major chord ("A") are A, C#, & E (1st, 3rd, & 5th notes of an A major scale.)
-
2
2
2
-
-

The notes in an A minor chord ("Am") are A, C, & E (1st, flatted 3rd, & 5th notes of an A major scale).
-
1
2
2
-
-

The notes in an A "power chord" are A & E (1st & 5th notes of an A major scale).
-
-
-
7
7
5

The notes in an Ab major chord ("Ab") are Ab, C, & Eb (1st, 3rd, & 5th notes of an Ab major scale).
-
1
1
1
-
-

The notes in an Ab power chord are Ab & Eb (1st & 5th notes of an Ab major scale).
-
-
-
6
6
4

Now, theoretically, would an Am "power chord" be

-
-
5
7
7
5

because I've added the C which is the flattened 3rd?

I don't know what you're playing, but it's very common to have the chords D, G, & A in a song, either in the key of D or the key of A. It's also fairly common to have the chords D, G, & Am in a song in the key of G. It's quite uncommon to have the chords D, G, & Ab in a song. Are you sure you want the Ab and not the A or Am?

Here's a simplified version of what I'm playing:

-----2--------------------------
--3---3-----1-------------------
2---------2---2-----------------
--------2-----------0-------0---
------------------2---2---2---2-
----------------3-------3-------


2-2-2-2---------3-3-3-3-
3-3-3-3-1-1-1-1-3-3-3-3-
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---------
--------2-2-2-2---------
----------------2-2-2-2-
----------------3-3-3-3-


------------------------
------------------------
7-7-7-7-----------------
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
--------5-5-5-5-3-3-3-3-

The part in bold is what I'm trying to figure out.

Thanks for the help and the crash course in music theory.

Hopefully, the tabs show up in Courier New so they're legible. Otherwise, cutting and pasting them into a word processor using a monspaced font will help.

[Complex Conjugate]

No thta's not really a power chord (unless power chrods don't have to be 5ths I've never been sure on this) it's just A minor.

A minor is usually played:

0
1
2
2
0
-

and A is usuually played:

0
2
2
2
0
-

The lowest note is usually the first., i.e. in the chord A the lowest note is usually A.

The chords in your song are:

D Am G
D Am G
D5 A5 G5

[Complex Conjugate]

*the song is in the key of A minor.

[Gary T]

A:
-
2
2
2
-
-

Yes, and all six strings can be played (they're all A's, C#'s, or E's).

Am:
-
1
2
2
-
-

Yes, and again all six strings can be played (all A's, C's, or E's).

A power chord:
-
-
-
7
7
5

Yes, if playing only the three fretted strings, which are A's or E's.

Ab:
-
1
1
1
-
-

Yes, if playing only the three fretted strings, which are Eb, Ab, & C (not normally done, in my experience -- other forms of Ab are what I usually see).

Ab power chord:
-
-
-
6
6
4

Yes, if playing only the three fretted strings, which are Ab's and E's.

Now, theoretically, would an Am "power chord" be

-
-
5
7
7
5

because I've added the C which is the flattened 3rd?

It is an Am chord. According to the definition here ( http://www.free-definition.com/Power-chord.html ) and others' comments above, there is no such thing as a minor power chord. As soon as you add a 3rd or a flattened 3rd, it ceases to be a power chord.

[Gary T]

Google on "power chord" for more info. Lots of explanatory sites.

[Nobody Special]

I understand that it may not be a proper power chord, but I'm looking for an Am* that sounds like it belongs with the D5 and G5. Would this be a better approximation, or am I looking for something that just doesn't exist?

------------------------
------------------------
7-7-7-7-----------------
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
--------8-8-8-8-3-3-3-3-

*I should point out, that I realize that the original question was flawed; I asked about an Ab when I meant an Am.

[Complex Conjugate]

I understand that it may not be a proper power chord, but I'm looking for an Am* that sounds like it belongs with the D5 and G5. Would this be a better approximation, or am I looking for something that just doesn't exist?

------------------------
------------------------
7-7-7-7-----------------
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
--------8-8-8-8-3-3-3-3-

*I should point out, that I realize that the original question was flawed; I asked about an Ab when I meant an Am.

A5 should be absolutely fine as it's essiential neutral to whether the key demand s

[Complex Conjugate]

I understand that it may not be a proper power chord, but I'm looking for an Am* that sounds like it belongs with the D5 and G5. Would this be a better approximation, or am I looking for something that just doesn't exist?

------------------------
------------------------
7-7-7-7-----------------
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-
--------8-8-8-8-3-3-3-3-

*I should point out, that I realize that the original question was flawed; I asked about an Ab when I meant an Am.

A5 should be absolutely fine as it's neutral to whether the key demands the chord to be major or minor.

[Nobody Special]

Again, I want to say thanks. I'm Googling "Power Chord" right now, and I have a MUCH better understanding of how the notes on the guitar work.