Guitar Tricks Online Guitar Lessons

Power Chords

andy82
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andy82
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08/25/2003 2:41 am
This is a follow up from my last question...

I know the shapes and the inversions etc but how to they fit into the formula? Are they major minor dim or aug?

And Noticing if you read this.. can you kindly elaborate on the weird ones I really didn't get thru to it. Such chords with numbers at the end e.g. Bm7 (this means its still a minor right?) and whats "sus"?


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# 1
Pantallica1
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Pantallica1
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08/25/2003 3:16 am
About the power chords, I'm pretty sure they are a 5th.

Such as A5, G5, E5 and so on.

Not totally sure. A Bm7 is a regular B Minor chord with an added 7th.

Sometimes I hit notes only dogs can hear.
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# 2
noticingthemistake
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noticingthemistake
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08/25/2003 3:50 am
Power chords are neither major minor diminished or augmented. These chords need 3 tones, a power chord or E5 chord only has 2 notes. E and B so it's more of an interval. In a E5 chord, E is the dominant pitch and B just strenghten the sound of E.

As for chords like Bm7. Yeah it's still a minor chord, the "7" indicates that an extension to the B minor chord has been added. If you take the B minor scale and count up 7 notes, you come up with the note A. Here's the notes, B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A. So a Bm7 chord is a B minor chord (B, D, F#) with the 7th added (A), together (B, D, F#, A).

An m or min after the note means it's a minor triad.
A capital M or maj means it's a major triad.
A aug or + means it's a augmented triad.
A dim or (small circle) o means it's diminished.

Any questions just ask. I'll explain any problems you may have.
"My whole life is a dark room...ONE BIG DARK ROOM" - a.f.i.
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Pantallica1
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Pantallica1
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08/25/2003 4:04 am
Yeah, if you can break chords down into intervals it becomes much easier.

Some of the chords can be quite difficult to play too. Like a Bmb5. That one is a little tricky :D
Sometimes I hit notes only dogs can hear.
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# 4
andy82
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andy82
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08/25/2003 12:33 pm
Thanks for the replies guys, always appreciate it :D
I get the "7" extentsions but now, Bmb5 :eek: whats that?


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The Other One
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The Other One
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08/25/2003 1:55 pm
its just B minor with a flat 5th extension...(lol)
....What a long, strange trip its been.....
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noticingthemistake
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noticingthemistake
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08/25/2003 3:00 pm
Bmb5, looks like a different (unorthodox) way to say Bdim. Anytime a b5 is involved it's a diminished chord.
"My whole life is a dark room...ONE BIG DARK ROOM" - a.f.i.
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Pantallica1
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08/25/2003 10:12 pm
NTM, a diminished chord also carries the 6th interval. A B minor with a flat five does not. It would be 1, b3, b5. A Bdim would be 1, b3, b5, 6.

Plus it's cool to say B minor flat 5!! :)

Sounds like a good name for a jazz band!!

Bmb5 is played like this:

e|----1----
b|----3----
g|----4----
d|----3----
a|----2----
E|---------
Sometimes I hit notes only dogs can hear.
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# 8
andy82
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andy82
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08/26/2003 9:22 am
Good stuff :cool: hmm as far as keys is concerned, say I got a jiggle made out of 4 power chords, what key would I call it?

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noticingthemistake
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noticingthemistake
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08/26/2003 2:53 pm
Yeah. It does sound like a name for a jazz band. As for the chords, a diminished chord doesn't have a 6th. Names like diminished, major, and minor are given to the configuration of the triad (1, 3, 5). Everything else is an extension. A diminished 7th chord is 1, b3, b5, bb7 (or 6, enharmonically). A diminished 7th chord doesn't exist natural in a major/minor scale, instead it's a m7b5 chord, like Bm7b5 in C major. A m7b5 is 1, b3, b5, b7 (B, D, F, A).

andy-

Just think of the root notes as a scale and see what scale it fits into. Usually you just have to look at the first chord you played, and figure out where the rest of the progression fits.

"My whole life is a dark room...ONE BIG DARK ROOM" - a.f.i.
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Pantallica1
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Pantallica1
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08/26/2003 4:43 pm
Hmm, well the book I have, (did some research last night) says:

Minor Chord Formulas

Symbol: o

Name: Diminished

Formula: 1, b3, b5, 6

Maybe it's a typo??

Well, let's see if you agree with any of the others


Symbol: m6

Name: Minor 6th

Formula: 1, b3, 5, 6

How about:


Symbol: m7/11

Name: Minor 7th add 11

Formula: 1, b3, 5, b7, 11


Any of those that don't look right? I'm not being an a$$, I'm just curious because I don't know a lot of theory, but I'm getting there. :D

Let me know.
Sometimes I hit notes only dogs can hear.
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noticingthemistake
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noticingthemistake
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08/28/2003 5:22 am
Yeah those are right. I think they meant a diminished 7th rather than just a diminished chord. That's all. :)
"My whole life is a dark room...ONE BIG DARK ROOM" - a.f.i.
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chris mood
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chris mood
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08/28/2003 5:49 pm
technically your adding the 6th of the scale to the diminished triad to make it a 7th, but since tertian chords are comprised of stacked 3rds it would be noted as a double flat 7th (bb7). A little confusing, but it does have a just cuase to us theory buffs. Right Notice!
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noticingthemistake
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noticingthemistake
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08/28/2003 6:48 pm
Yeah. ;) It's also alittle easier to understand when your reading music I suppose. Like a triad chord noted is either line (1), line (3), line (5), or space, space, space. 7th chord's should also follow this pattern so it would be line (1), line (3), line (5), line (7). The diminshed 7th should also follow the pattern rather than breaking it by writting it as a sixth, which would be line (1), line (b3), line (b5), space (6). I dunno, maybe you understand maybe not it doesn't matter. I just heard it was easier to comprehend because it looks more structured. :confused:
"My whole life is a dark room...ONE BIG DARK ROOM" - a.f.i.
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Number of the Beast
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Number of the Beast
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08/29/2003 1:19 am
Originally posted by andy82
Good stuff :cool: hmm as far as keys is concerned, say I got a jiggle made out of 4 power chords, what key would I call it?


Perhaps you should be more specific than "a jiggle." Key signature depends on the notes you are playing and therefore in the chords you are playing. What you just said is guitar's equivalent to asking an algebra teacher what P equals without including any constants. If you're power chords were A5, G5, F5, and C5, you would be in the key of Am or C; take your pick.
If I could be a solo...I think I'd be Eruption...
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chris mood
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chris mood
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08/29/2003 3:27 am
What's a jiggle?
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Number of the Beast
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Number of the Beast
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08/29/2003 10:05 pm
The same thing as a jangle, a jingle, and a chord progression...sort of. He's basically being an idiot by not naming what chords he is playing and instead summing them up as a jiggle. Which is the equivalent of me being asked "what are the lyrics to 'Thick as a Brick'" and me responding, "Oh, the actual words don't matter, but it's like: tralalalaaaaa trala la la la laaaaa."
If I could be a solo...I think I'd be Eruption...
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b_hoves
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b_hoves
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08/30/2003 12:34 am
Originally posted by Number of the Beast
the lyrics to 'Thick as a Brick'" and me responding, "Oh, the actual words don't matter, but it's like: tralalalaaaaa trala la la la laaaaa."


sounds like a good song. :D
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chris mood
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chris mood
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08/30/2003 4:47 am
I prefer Bungle in the Jungle.
So what kind of slang is that, European?
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Number of the Beast
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Number of the Beast
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08/30/2003 4:40 pm
Originally posted by chris mood
I prefer Bungle in the Jungle.
So what kind of slang is that, European?


Hey, Tull doesn't have a bad song...excluding "songs from the wood"...and "Life is a long song"
If I could be a solo...I think I'd be Eruption...
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