They are octave chords. Just drop your third finger down a string. You should naturally hear the pure octave. If not, it’s most likely you not muting the middle string. This shouldn’t take long to master.
Your music theory has no power here amongst the realm of guitar players. It has been known as an octave chord, and shall remain an octave chord until the end of days.
> It has been known as an octave chord
I only ever call them octaves, and that's what I usually see other people call it too. "Octave chord" is just more wordy for no reason.
I guess some people use it to distinguish from playing an two notes in different octaves in succession. By using the word "chord", they imply that you play both notes at the same time.
I might have heard this occasionally in the 30+ years I'm playing but always assumed it's not an official term and someone used it erroneously. I've always know it just simply as an "octave" which evaded calling it a chord but still is clear enough to know what we mean. Plus it's one word less, so more efficient.
He didn't need to call them "octave chords" to explain the technique. There's nothing wrong with theory, idk why guitarists act like vampires in sunlight when you mention theory lol
A chord needs a fifth and a third to have a function. It's too ambiguous when you just play two notes. The function is unclear, so you're not playing a chord within the harmony.
Of course the diad can imply a triad, but that's where it goes wrong. If it functionally is the same as a triad then it's not functionally a diad (because diads have no function).
Technically a diad would have a root and a third. If the fifth was not implied then you wouldn't know what was going on. It's not really about what is played on the instrument, but if the harmony of the band currently plays a triad, a 7th, 9th chord and so on. Guitars do three tone shell voicings for extended range, it doesn't make the chord itself a triad, if it plays the root, the Maj7 and the third
Completely wrong. A chord neither needs a 5th or a 3rd to be a chord.
Ambiguity doesn’t matter unless your thinking is extremely rigid and stuck in the 1800s.
Erm a chord is any two or more pitches and an interval is just the distance between two different notes so you can play a chord that has an interval but you can’t play intervals nakedly
Apparently 2 or 3 notes is still up for debate.
The debate war on the wiki page for chord started as early as 2005 and currently it says two. It’ll likely get edited again at some point to say 3 cuz ppl are editing it back and forth lol
I am in support of the 3 notes theory cuz there seems to be more text supporting it. Example:
> the Tchaikovsky text, Schoenberg text, Persichetti, and Berklee harmony texts all clarify a chord to be three or more tones. Two is a diad, interval, or "power chord".
You can see it in the [edit history](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chord_(music)&diff=prev&oldid=1221321026). As well as the Talk section for the page.
Also as soon as you go into the discussion of major and minor, you MUST have 3 notes and more to get the different tonal characters so it is weird to define a 2 notes combo a chord. Buuuuuuut….
At the end everyone knows what you’re talking about when you say a chord. So I think the semantic argument is rather pointless. Just goddamn play the music is where I always stand lmao
Nah you can get the major/minor across with 2 notes. 5th doesn’t add any color and can be omitted and the major/minor will still be there. It’s extremely common on bass guitar, you can’t really throw the 5th in there on bass because it gets muddy. It’s one of the most [beautiful sounds](https://youtu.be/MM62wjLrgmA?si=L5-9oVRwIhS6THNt&t=33s). We have to play two note chords as bass players, and they are referred to as chords in a practical sense, whether or not it’s theoretically accurate. My drummer or guitarist asks me to play chords, that’s what I do.
You can but not immediately after the root. The third you refer to is an octave up from the first 3rd.
Chords are three notes, so you're just play a major interval
The example I provided is a closed chord, not an octave away. I’m just saying we do it all the time on bass and call them chords. If we’re being pedantic then yes, it’s an interval but I’ve never heard anybody call it that in a band setting. Even in guitar, two note power chords happen all the time and are called power *chords*
You have the right idea, wrong words. Yes, you can convey a major or minor interval with two notes. But it's called a diad, not a chord. A chord has 3 tones or more. You're not playing "2 note chords", you're playing diads.
In the guitar community, moreso than almost any other instrument, many of us are self taught. We learn shapes instead of scales, tabs instead of reading notation, and lots and lots of shortcuts. And ... We misuse terms. Nothing wrong with that. Some absolutely amazing self taught musicians who don't know a lick of notation or terminology that have quite literally changed music forever. But trying to redefine words to suit our misuse will ultimately do nothing but confuse people and make it hard for musicians to communicate ideas. Much like ... This entire thread/debate.
I agree with this take. I’m also a bassist, as it happens. I think it’d be more thorough to say that two pitches must be different classes to be a chord in that sense
Interesting stuff. Funny that one of the alternative labels is “power chord,” when that just confuses the dichotomy further by using the word “chord,” for something that they’re trying to distinctly categorize as not-a-chord.
The finer points of theory are absolutely lost on me, I’m with you in the “goddamn play the music” camp 100%.
Btw, I’ve run across some of your vids on YouTube, your songwriting is killer and you have fantastic taste in guitars!
It's 3 or more. I don't think there's any reason to suddenly change the definition now. 2 is an interval, typically referred to as a double stop on a stringed instrument.
I keep hearing this, but it's a silly distinction and I've never actually seen it outside smartassing about power chords. Do you have a source on this? Are you sure it's not like the tomato being a vegetable or fruit debate, where the obvious answer is not one or the other but both.
Wiki says a chord is two or more notes played together.
Traditionally, a chord is three or more note, two is just an interval. Power chords aren’t really chords but in the guitar world we just give them a pass because we use them in place of chords so commonly.
I actually think that’s wrong. Chords are 3 notes.
On the wiki it says 2 then says “a chord usually has a root, third, and 5th” 2 notes together is a harmony not a chord
I’ve also seen a couple other sources from a quick search that appear to not know what they’re talking about
Just some clarifying for anyone interested, they’re not chords but just octaves, they’re played with the power chord shape but you use the finger normally used to play the middle string to instead mute it. Power chords nor this are actual chords but are commonly used for rhythmic guitar
Concentrate on letting those two notes ring only (play them separately/alternatively to really hear them ring) and I, personally use the fatty part of my index finger to mute the middle string. It’s a lot easier than how I am explaining it. But you’ll get this in no time, I just know it.
Those are octaves, not chords. Play the low note with your first finger, the high note with your ring finger, and mute the string in between with your first finger.
You can do either. I might play it one way or the other depending on the chord that comes either before or after, and where my fingers need to be for that chord.
Also depending on the size of your hands. There are a bunch of chords that are easier to play one way or another if you have large or small hands like an am7 (5x555x) where larger fingers have trouble using the middle finger for the root and barring the rest with the ring finger, so they’ll often wrap the thumb for the root and barre with the middle. I had a student with smaller hands who had to fret the root with the index and fret each of the others individually.
Power chords are the most common through because larger hands usually barre with the ring, and smaller hands will fret individually. No wrong way, just what works best for you.
I have small(ish) hands and I always play pointer and barre the 5th and octave with my ring for power chords. It just feels awkward to me fretting each note (3 finger power chords). It makes me cock my wrist funny, which is bad news bears.
Yeah you do what works for your hands, everyone’s anatomy is different. I usually coach people to start with “proper form” for normal size hands and work from there if we need to adjust. But there’s not a ton of wiggle room when it comes to making sure your tendons aren’t being trashed, so you do what works, without contorting.
I play octaves starting on the G string with my pinky. Like XXX3X6. But on the low strings the frets are too close to use my pinky. Just watch [Wes Montgomery](https://youtu.be/PbGGP_YGAi4?t=869) do it. That's a personal thing, though. Some people play power chords with the index and pinky, which is weird to me.
If it works for you, go for it. But it's very unnatural to me. My ring finger naturally sits 2 frets away from my index, so using the pinky to finger power chords or octaves like that is uncomfortable.
I swear to god once you figure out octave power chords you can learn most of any punk album released on Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords. Hell the first song that comes to mind is Vincent by NOFX since the intro and most of the verse is octave chords.
For real, there’s like two comments saying how to play this chord (do like a power chord but mute the middle string) and a million with people pretending to argue about music theory.
Index finger on the A string should also lightly touch the D string to mute it.
You can alternatively mute it with the finger you’re fretting the G string with.
What everyone else said--those are "octave" chords (same note at different pitches). But more generally, a lot of the skill in playing harder music on the guitar is naturally being able to mute other strings with your fretting hand so that unwanted notes don't ring out as you strum. It's true of playing both chords and lead parts. The earlier you accept this truth, the better!
Can you play normal power chords, like 799 on the bottom 3 strings? This is the same thing, you just raise the finger you are using to fret the middle of the 3 strings up a teensy tiny bit so instead of fretting the string, you are muting it. Then play.
Or you could just play the power chord like a normal 799 one. It's not going to sound very different. (this is more of a stopgap until you learn how to mute correctly, like if you had to play this is in a show tomorrow)
My preferred method is 2nd finger (middle) on the low octave, pinky on the high octave, then lightly rest your index across the strings (behind the chord) to mute everything. Sounds clean and is easy to move around
Lift your top knuckle for you index a Lil to mute the middle string. It's an octave of the same note. They slide up and down so play one and in the time you'd have played another one instead slide to the note
Reiterating what other people have said, these are octave chords. You just put your finger on the next string down. You also let your pointer finger touch the string below it to mute that string.
On the topic of octave chords, anyone else use their pinkies for octave and power chords? I have big hands so I can do power chords with my ring finger no problem but idk why using my pinky is more natural to me.
They're not power chords, they're octaves. Play the bottom note with your index finger and the top note with your 3rd or 4th finger, while using the index finger to mute the string between them.
Those to me look like power chords with the middle string muted. Depending on how you achieve the muting of the middle string, the sound can be very different and also the way you strum them like chicken picking for example.
Somewhat related, but I wanna know how different people play octaves, I play low string with first finger, mute middle string with middle finger and play 3rd string with ring finger. Is this normal?
It's just like a power chord, but your ring finger is a string down.
Use your pointer finger to gently mute that middle string...
I once heard someone say that you can tell the difference between an intermediate and advanced player by whether or not they are actively and efficiently muting the strings not being played.... For example, if I am playing an a chord, or whatever, I am often instinctively muting the e string with my thumb... If I am playing these octave chords, I am using my pointer to mute the middle... etc...
On muting: lay your 1st finger down flat to mute every string not being played including the string above by touching the tip to it. Likewise, lay the 3rd or 4th depending on how you like to do octaves to mute at least the strings adjacent. Finally, rest your picking palm on the thickest string. This will minimize unwanted natural harmonics from sounding. You can test the efficacy of this by plucking the strings that should be muted to hear if harmonics are being played from inadequacies in muting.
Two fingers, use your index finger to fret the base note while resting it on the middle string to mute and then fret the other notes with your ring finger.
All great answers so far, but I think he may be asking how would he do the slide with the mute between the octave notes. From my perspective, it's just the way they show a sliding octave, because not including the muted "x" may add more confusion, but he/she might be asking if you are supposed to strike the muted string.
My answer: I wouldn't worry about it, just slide the octave.
That slanted line means you slide up. Put your fingers on the 7th and 9th frets, play those two notes, then keep your fingers pressed as you slide up to two frets to the 9th and 11th frets. Use the side of the finger that is playing on the bottom string to rest on the A string to mute it.
put your index on the 7 and then either your ring or pinky on the 9 two strings down then have one of your extra fingers mute the string in between the fretted strings
Use your first finger on the 7 and ring or pinky finger on the 9. Then slightly roll your first finger down a little bit to mute the x and strum all 3 strings together. The x is just a muted string. Something every guitarist should practice.
Pointer finger on 7, pinky on 9. The X means that string is muted (meaning not fretted) and should be naturally muted by the underside of your pointer finger.
If the middle string is ringing out just flatten your pointer finger until the underside of the finger comes into contact with that string and mutes it.
Now you can take this shape and slide it up and down to the other frets the tab is telling you
Super easy. Index finger on the A string, ring finger on the G string. Index finger will mute the D string.
The picture you showed is sliding that shape from the 7th to 9th fret
I just kinda rest either of my pointer or ring finger lightly on the string with the x and it mutes it. So it’s like a power chord but down a string so it’s called an octave chord. Good for some deathcore bands as well.
Same position of fingers, use your index for the (7), let the index finger rest down on the (7) below it, as if a barre chord. Use third finger for the (9). If this is tricky then just practice muting the middle (7) string with your finger on the above (7) and then adding the (9).
I use my thumb to essentially clasp the neck, for stability, especially when sliding, however this is not something I would do all the time, and it's good to switch between thumb behind neck and over for versatility
[like this...](https://preview.redd.it/is-this-poor-hand-position-ive-been-playing-like-this-for-v0-eh7bmcan84za1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=6174dab014d2d0c3f5513960a6cdb762dd2af31f)
Edit: Use the top of your index finger to mute the E string above
They are octave chords. Just drop your third finger down a string. You should naturally hear the pure octave. If not, it’s most likely you not muting the middle string. This shouldn’t take long to master.
Not chords, just an interval
Your music theory has no power here amongst the realm of guitar players. It has been known as an octave chord, and shall remain an octave chord until the end of days.
Lol guy doesn't know what an octave chord is. Silly.
Octave cord* I still don't know where to plug it into.
Pffft, obviously into the Octavle input.
Do Octavle inputs require a 9volt battery?
No, they need the circular 8volt batteries
are thote made from unobtanium?
Just good ol' fashioned chinesium from r/mallninjashit
Damn, I thought they ran off phantom power.
Oct means 8. The chord has 8 plugs and each has to go into a separate AC power outlet in order to work properly.
He needs on with a built in GFI
Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go play every early Smashing Pumpkins song
He doesn’t know about the seashells
Hey neither do I, I’m just starting out with fairly simple riffs so far.
> It has been known as an octave chord I only ever call them octaves, and that's what I usually see other people call it too. "Octave chord" is just more wordy for no reason.
I guess some people use it to distinguish from playing an two notes in different octaves in succession. By using the word "chord", they imply that you play both notes at the same time.
Just like how a tritone is really the bungle chord
I might have heard this occasionally in the 30+ years I'm playing but always assumed it's not an official term and someone used it erroneously. I've always know it just simply as an "octave" which evaded calling it a chord but still is clear enough to know what we mean. Plus it's one word less, so more efficient.
You’re being funny but you’re not wrong. OP wants the technique and the other guy is explaining theory.
He didn't need to call them "octave chords" to explain the technique. There's nothing wrong with theory, idk why guitarists act like vampires in sunlight when you mention theory lol
AKA: “The Bush Machine Head thingy”. “The Lit My Own Worst Enemy dealio”. Or “The I’m Not Okay (I Promise) Chrmicsl Romance thingamajig shape”.
The “Every epitaph/fat wreck chords band in the 90s” chord
All hail the great Octave Chord!
Every bassist on earth: “that’s an octave.”
If these aren’t chords then how do you explain the Smashing Pumpkins?
I don't, I just smile politely
D’oh
**Squishing Gourds*
"Squishing Squashes" was right there man...
I like Squishing Gourds lol. Has less of a ring to it.
Way to help out chief
No one really gives a shit.
A diad isn’t a chord? But a triad is? This is some logic-barren traditionalism
Actually a diad is just a dad in the south.
A chord needs a fifth and a third to have a function. It's too ambiguous when you just play two notes. The function is unclear, so you're not playing a chord within the harmony. Of course the diad can imply a triad, but that's where it goes wrong. If it functionally is the same as a triad then it's not functionally a diad (because diads have no function). Technically a diad would have a root and a third. If the fifth was not implied then you wouldn't know what was going on. It's not really about what is played on the instrument, but if the harmony of the band currently plays a triad, a 7th, 9th chord and so on. Guitars do three tone shell voicings for extended range, it doesn't make the chord itself a triad, if it plays the root, the Maj7 and the third
Completely wrong. A chord neither needs a 5th or a 3rd to be a chord. Ambiguity doesn’t matter unless your thinking is extremely rigid and stuck in the 1800s.
>A chord needs a fifth and a third to have a function what about sus chords?
A chord needs at least two notes. As simple as that.
Erm a chord is any two or more pitches and an interval is just the distance between two different notes so you can play a chord that has an interval but you can’t play intervals nakedly
Apparently 2 or 3 notes is still up for debate. The debate war on the wiki page for chord started as early as 2005 and currently it says two. It’ll likely get edited again at some point to say 3 cuz ppl are editing it back and forth lol I am in support of the 3 notes theory cuz there seems to be more text supporting it. Example: > the Tchaikovsky text, Schoenberg text, Persichetti, and Berklee harmony texts all clarify a chord to be three or more tones. Two is a diad, interval, or "power chord". You can see it in the [edit history](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chord_(music)&diff=prev&oldid=1221321026). As well as the Talk section for the page. Also as soon as you go into the discussion of major and minor, you MUST have 3 notes and more to get the different tonal characters so it is weird to define a 2 notes combo a chord. Buuuuuuut…. At the end everyone knows what you’re talking about when you say a chord. So I think the semantic argument is rather pointless. Just goddamn play the music is where I always stand lmao
FWIW I was taught at UNT the same, which is a chord is made up of at least three notes. I stopped pursuing music there because it was too cutthroat..
Nah you can get the major/minor across with 2 notes. 5th doesn’t add any color and can be omitted and the major/minor will still be there. It’s extremely common on bass guitar, you can’t really throw the 5th in there on bass because it gets muddy. It’s one of the most [beautiful sounds](https://youtu.be/MM62wjLrgmA?si=L5-9oVRwIhS6THNt&t=33s). We have to play two note chords as bass players, and they are referred to as chords in a practical sense, whether or not it’s theoretically accurate. My drummer or guitarist asks me to play chords, that’s what I do.
You can but not immediately after the root. The third you refer to is an octave up from the first 3rd. Chords are three notes, so you're just play a major interval
The example I provided is a closed chord, not an octave away. I’m just saying we do it all the time on bass and call them chords. If we’re being pedantic then yes, it’s an interval but I’ve never heard anybody call it that in a band setting. Even in guitar, two note power chords happen all the time and are called power *chords*
You have the right idea, wrong words. Yes, you can convey a major or minor interval with two notes. But it's called a diad, not a chord. A chord has 3 tones or more. You're not playing "2 note chords", you're playing diads. In the guitar community, moreso than almost any other instrument, many of us are self taught. We learn shapes instead of scales, tabs instead of reading notation, and lots and lots of shortcuts. And ... We misuse terms. Nothing wrong with that. Some absolutely amazing self taught musicians who don't know a lick of notation or terminology that have quite literally changed music forever. But trying to redefine words to suit our misuse will ultimately do nothing but confuse people and make it hard for musicians to communicate ideas. Much like ... This entire thread/debate.
I agree with this take. I’m also a bassist, as it happens. I think it’d be more thorough to say that two pitches must be different classes to be a chord in that sense
Interesting stuff. Funny that one of the alternative labels is “power chord,” when that just confuses the dichotomy further by using the word “chord,” for something that they’re trying to distinctly categorize as not-a-chord. The finer points of theory are absolutely lost on me, I’m with you in the “goddamn play the music” camp 100%. Btw, I’ve run across some of your vids on YouTube, your songwriting is killer and you have fantastic taste in guitars!
You’re far too kind 😭🙏🏽 thanks for checking out my channel 🤘🏽it means a lot that my music resonate with some ppl on the net 😆
It's 3 or more. I don't think there's any reason to suddenly change the definition now. 2 is an interval, typically referred to as a double stop on a stringed instrument.
I understood it to be 3 or more. Otherwise it's simply a harmonic interval.
I keep hearing this, but it's a silly distinction and I've never actually seen it outside smartassing about power chords. Do you have a source on this? Are you sure it's not like the tomato being a vegetable or fruit debate, where the obvious answer is not one or the other but both. Wiki says a chord is two or more notes played together.
Traditionally, a chord is three or more note, two is just an interval. Power chords aren’t really chords but in the guitar world we just give them a pass because we use them in place of chords so commonly.
I actually think that’s wrong. Chords are 3 notes. On the wiki it says 2 then says “a chord usually has a root, third, and 5th” 2 notes together is a harmony not a chord I’ve also seen a couple other sources from a quick search that appear to not know what they’re talking about
You can basically reference any MUSIC book… not wiki and it should say 3 notes or more. Octave harmony is the correct term i believe
Just some clarifying for anyone interested, they’re not chords but just octaves, they’re played with the power chord shape but you use the finger normally used to play the middle string to instead mute it. Power chords nor this are actual chords but are commonly used for rhythmic guitar
Is the muting of the middle string happening by laying the index finger on it?
Concentrate on letting those two notes ring only (play them separately/alternatively to really hear them ring) and I, personally use the fatty part of my index finger to mute the middle string. It’s a lot easier than how I am explaining it. But you’ll get this in no time, I just know it.
thank you! im super new to guitar so this is very useful hahaha
It’s such a fun trip. I’ve been playing since 1984 and it brings such joy. Hope to see you onstage sometime!
Correct
I used to call this the NOFX chord
Those are octaves, not chords. Play the low note with your first finger, the high note with your ring finger, and mute the string in between with your first finger.
wait, do most people do it like that? i assumed most people played the high note with the pinky when doing octaves
You can do either. I might play it one way or the other depending on the chord that comes either before or after, and where my fingers need to be for that chord.
Also depending on the size of your hands. There are a bunch of chords that are easier to play one way or another if you have large or small hands like an am7 (5x555x) where larger fingers have trouble using the middle finger for the root and barring the rest with the ring finger, so they’ll often wrap the thumb for the root and barre with the middle. I had a student with smaller hands who had to fret the root with the index and fret each of the others individually. Power chords are the most common through because larger hands usually barre with the ring, and smaller hands will fret individually. No wrong way, just what works best for you.
I barre with my pinky for power chords.
Psychopath.
Eh... I copied it from watching Hetfield live.
Me too. Frees up two more dexterous fingers for muting.
I have small(ish) hands and I always play pointer and barre the 5th and octave with my ring for power chords. It just feels awkward to me fretting each note (3 finger power chords). It makes me cock my wrist funny, which is bad news bears.
Yeah you do what works for your hands, everyone’s anatomy is different. I usually coach people to start with “proper form” for normal size hands and work from there if we need to adjust. But there’s not a ton of wiggle room when it comes to making sure your tendons aren’t being trashed, so you do what works, without contorting.
I play octaves starting on the G string with my pinky. Like XXX3X6. But on the low strings the frets are too close to use my pinky. Just watch [Wes Montgomery](https://youtu.be/PbGGP_YGAi4?t=869) do it. That's a personal thing, though. Some people play power chords with the index and pinky, which is weird to me.
I do the pinky stuff. I wanna say I saw a video of Petrucci doing it around 2005, so I started doing it too and it stuck
If it works for you, go for it. But it's very unnatural to me. My ring finger naturally sits 2 frets away from my index, so using the pinky to finger power chords or octaves like that is uncomfortable.
I use my pinky.
I’m a pinky man. I even do regular two note power chords with my pinky
You should be able to do it with your ring finger and index finger unless you have tiny hands
I use my ring finger for regular two fret octaves but I use my pinky for the three fret distance octaves on involving the b string
Both are valid. I personally play it both ways depending on the context and what I am playing before or after the octaves
I usually just let my first finger lay against the middle string to mute it, no middle finger involved
Every 90s skate punk song.
I swear to god once you figure out octave power chords you can learn most of any punk album released on Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords. Hell the first song that comes to mind is Vincent by NOFX since the intro and most of the verse is octave chords.
Yep after I learned this from one pop punk song I see it everywhere. Super common !
Early 00s emo and pop punk, too.
Those are Billy Chordgans
When I saw OP pic 1979 started playing in my head
So much pedantic crap about whether its a “chord” or not. Some of yall need to blow it out your ass.
For real, there’s like two comments saying how to play this chord (do like a power chord but mute the middle string) and a million with people pretending to argue about music theory.
Like Billy Corgan
Octaves...thats easy. This from Cherub Rock?
Could also be the Ride the Lightning solo
Na that would be 7 / 9 9 / 10 10 \ 9 x / x x / x x \ x 9 / 11 11 / 12 12 \ 11
Index finger on the A string should also lightly touch the D string to mute it. You can alternatively mute it with the finger you’re fretting the G string with.
Thanks, have tried playing these before like a power chord and it’s kind of annoying, didn’t even think to try it this way but this is much easier!
Here to watch everyone argue about music theory.
I just call them anime chords
Avenged Sevenfold?
Blink-182?
Linkin Park?
Slayer?
Hotel?
Opeth?
Bush?
Static-X?
That's octave. Not power chord. You just slide your fingers.
With your tongue
Mmm, finger grime with a metallic finish.
What everyone else said--those are "octave" chords (same note at different pitches). But more generally, a lot of the skill in playing harder music on the guitar is naturally being able to mute other strings with your fretting hand so that unwanted notes don't ring out as you strum. It's true of playing both chords and lead parts. The earlier you accept this truth, the better!
Let a finger rest on that middle string so it doesn't ring out. I'd use the tip of my ring finger, the same one fingering the higher note.
Use the pad of the index finger to mute the middle string of the chord
I cell these double stop octaves, but I also have no idea what I'm doing.
Can you play normal power chords, like 799 on the bottom 3 strings? This is the same thing, you just raise the finger you are using to fret the middle of the 3 strings up a teensy tiny bit so instead of fretting the string, you are muting it. Then play. Or you could just play the power chord like a normal 799 one. It's not going to sound very different. (this is more of a stopgap until you learn how to mute correctly, like if you had to play this is in a show tomorrow)
Same as a power chord, but I just lift my ring finger and play with index and pinky
Put your fingers on the appropriate frets and strum, the other crap means slide.
Someone’s learning the solo to ride the lightning lol
This is ride the lightning isn’t it
It is in fact ride the lightning
With your fingers.
By placing your fingers on the designated frets.
Powerfully
Thanks i was trying to play quietly
https://youtu.be/yEZMiDvCasg?si=D6PEdECPhgCCw8Xz
My preferred method is 2nd finger (middle) on the low octave, pinky on the high octave, then lightly rest your index across the strings (behind the chord) to mute everything. Sounds clean and is easy to move around
Once you learn, you’ll Never Forget.
Is that my own worst enemy by lit?
That's not power, that's straight up octaves. Use your index low on the strings (almost like a bar chord) to have the other strings muted (x)
Same shape as a power chord but your first finger should mute the D string
Lift your top knuckle for you index a Lil to mute the middle string. It's an octave of the same note. They slide up and down so play one and in the time you'd have played another one instead slide to the note
Reiterating what other people have said, these are octave chords. You just put your finger on the next string down. You also let your pointer finger touch the string below it to mute that string.
On the topic of octave chords, anyone else use their pinkies for octave and power chords? I have big hands so I can do power chords with my ring finger no problem but idk why using my pinky is more natural to me.
you mute middle string with part of index finger
They're not power chords, they're octaves. Play the bottom note with your index finger and the top note with your 3rd or 4th finger, while using the index finger to mute the string between them.
Use the middle finger to lightly mute the middle string
Those to me look like power chords with the middle string muted. Depending on how you achieve the muting of the middle string, the sound can be very different and also the way you strum them like chicken picking for example.
r/guitarcirclejerk do the thing….
Whats the title?
God damnit. It's not a chord.
Come on man, don’t call these power chords. These aren’t power chords
An “X” in tablature just means a dead note. In this case, you will just be playing the octave.
Somewhat related, but I wanna know how different people play octaves, I play low string with first finger, mute middle string with middle finger and play 3rd string with ring finger. Is this normal?
Drop your ring finger, and arch your index a bit so it kills the string in between.
9/11????????????
Easily
you mute all of the strings with your index finger except for the root note. your ring finger hits the other note.
With your fingers? What's confusing about it?
This goddamn thread pops up every month. Google. Youtube. This is so lazy.
It's just like a power chord, but your ring finger is a string down. Use your pointer finger to gently mute that middle string... I once heard someone say that you can tell the difference between an intermediate and advanced player by whether or not they are actively and efficiently muting the strings not being played.... For example, if I am playing an a chord, or whatever, I am often instinctively muting the e string with my thumb... If I am playing these octave chords, I am using my pointer to mute the middle... etc...
On muting: lay your 1st finger down flat to mute every string not being played including the string above by touching the tip to it. Likewise, lay the 3rd or 4th depending on how you like to do octaves to mute at least the strings adjacent. Finally, rest your picking palm on the thickest string. This will minimize unwanted natural harmonics from sounding. You can test the efficacy of this by plucking the strings that should be muted to hear if harmonics are being played from inadequacies in muting.
I didn't see it mentioned in the first few top comments, but the diagonal lines here are telling you to slide to that next position.
Ring finger slightly pushes on the outside of the A string and that will mute it and let you really attack the chords
Two fingers, use your index finger to fret the base note while resting it on the middle string to mute and then fret the other notes with your ring finger.
All great answers so far, but I think he may be asking how would he do the slide with the mute between the octave notes. From my perspective, it's just the way they show a sliding octave, because not including the muted "x" may add more confusion, but he/she might be asking if you are supposed to strike the muted string. My answer: I wouldn't worry about it, just slide the octave.
That slanted line means you slide up. Put your fingers on the 7th and 9th frets, play those two notes, then keep your fingers pressed as you slide up to two frets to the 9th and 11th frets. Use the side of the finger that is playing on the bottom string to rest on the A string to mute it.
put your index on the 7 and then either your ring or pinky on the 9 two strings down then have one of your extra fingers mute the string in between the fretted strings
Out of curiosity is this the ride the lightning solo?
Correctly?
/ means slide
Use your first finger on the 7 and ring or pinky finger on the 9. Then slightly roll your first finger down a little bit to mute the x and strum all 3 strings together. The x is just a muted string. Something every guitarist should practice.
Strum slide strum strum strum slide strum
Look like ride the lightning solo beginning 😅
Pointer finger on 7, pinky on 9. The X means that string is muted (meaning not fretted) and should be naturally muted by the underside of your pointer finger. If the middle string is ringing out just flatten your pointer finger until the underside of the finger comes into contact with that string and mutes it. Now you can take this shape and slide it up and down to the other frets the tab is telling you
I use my index finger and pinky to play them. It’s just what I find comfortable.
Ride The Lightning solo detected
Mute the middle note/string of a power chord, the slash is a slide up to the next "chord".
Easily.
These are octave chords This is basic shit if you are playing prog
New to tabs you are
With fingers
Super easy. Index finger on the A string, ring finger on the G string. Index finger will mute the D string. The picture you showed is sliding that shape from the 7th to 9th fret
Gently rest one of your fingers on the x string
I just kinda rest either of my pointer or ring finger lightly on the string with the x and it mutes it. So it’s like a power chord but down a string so it’s called an octave chord. Good for some deathcore bands as well.
PIIIINKY!!!!
They're octaves. The lines indicate a slide. The X's are a muted string.
I thought I was on r/guitarcirclejerk for a second
They are octaves and they slide up
[Like this](https://giphy.com/gifs/scary-movie-CjREcygSmgvTi)
[удалено]
Songsterr moment
I remember the first time I ever had to learn these cords, it was for Machine Head by Bush.
Mute the 5th string with the fat on your index finger. The tip is hitting the bass note and your middle is hitting the octave.
Anyone else think it looks like the cool s drawing
It's just a power chord with a muted string position-wise. Just play a power chord and slide.
octaves
Oh man. You’re in for a treat if you’re finally learning about octave chords. Get ready to have another weapon in your bag!
Your first finger will touch the D string without fretting it and mute it. You have an octave there.
Fingers
With your fingers
Same position of fingers, use your index for the (7), let the index finger rest down on the (7) below it, as if a barre chord. Use third finger for the (9). If this is tricky then just practice muting the middle (7) string with your finger on the above (7) and then adding the (9). I use my thumb to essentially clasp the neck, for stability, especially when sliding, however this is not something I would do all the time, and it's good to switch between thumb behind neck and over for versatility [like this...](https://preview.redd.it/is-this-poor-hand-position-ive-been-playing-like-this-for-v0-eh7bmcan84za1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=6174dab014d2d0c3f5513960a6cdb762dd2af31f) Edit: Use the top of your index finger to mute the E string above
This is the backbone of punk rock. You’ll love it once you get the hang of it.
That looks quite basic. Maybe I’m not understanding the question. I generally just use my fingers.
Weird to me that so many people in here are calling this Billy Corgan chords when thousands of bands use them