Rhythm Lesson 4: Power Chords
Power Chords are sets of notes used to beef up the sound of a single note. Say for example you play a note on the 5th fret - just that one note. Then lets say you take that note and add a secondary voice to it. So keep your finger (assuming its your index finger) on that fret and then take your ring finger and put it on the 7th fret on the string below and then pluck both strings at once. That is a Normal Power Chord. With that fingering position, you can move all around the fret board, just as long as you keep one fret between those two fingers. 
Just incase you are still learning to read tablature, remember that every two or more frets that are right above or below another are all hit at the same time.
Now we'll take it one step further. Keeping the same fingering position wherever your at on the fret board, add your pinky to the same fret your ring finger is on, just a string below your ring finger. This is a Full Power Chord and it is commonly used by many metal bands such as Metallica, Pantera, and Megadeth. Indeed, at first keeping this position as you travel from fret to fret will be hard, but with practice it will eventually turn into an unconscious act. Usually stretching exercises explained in the previous lesson helps this out the most.
Now that you know these, we can move on to the next level of power chords which aren't actually considered power chords. I like to call these Reversed Chords. Reversed Chords are there for those who want to include a different hue of melody in their riffs. A reversed chord isn't of one stationed fingering position through out the fret board like regular power chords. For a simple example of a reversed chord, take your ring finger and put it on 7 on the A string (second string down). Now take your index finger and put it on 5 on the string below that. Now hit both strings at the same time. This chord can be found in songs like Metallica's "Orion" musical or Megadeth's "Addicted to Chaos".
Reversed Chords have different fingering positions throughout the length of every 12 frets. The same pattern of positions can be used on every pair of strings except the G and B strings. Below is a tab out of every fingering position of all common harmonic reverse chords and also shows the differed positions of them on the G and B strings as well before finally continuing the pattern on the bottom strings as the same on the top strings.
Barred Chords are a kind of negative of normally Full Power Chords. They take a note and turn it into an evil, grueling monster of a note. They sound best with the palm muting effect but only sound best (well at least to me) on the top 3 strings. They consist of taking your index finger and barring the first 2 strings at any fret and then putting your ring finger two frets up on the third string. Refer to the figure below for best explanation on how barred chords work.
Unique Chords are the most versatile types of chords you can find in riffs these days. They are used in a wide variety of styles and techniques and are used for and endless list of harmonic and even disharmonic tones and feels. As you read this, new ones are being created to be used for types of sounds that haven't been thought of. To put most simply, they are practically breeds of chords used from common types but reversed and inverted and cut and added to in many ways to make a different sound than the usual types of chords. I will not illustrate any for you can take the common types I have show you and make you own. Plus, I'm very sure that when you're learning cover songs, you are almost guaranteed to run into many of them. Keep your mind open and be experimental with any you happen to find!
Octaved Chords. Before we talk any about that phrase, lets talk about the simple word inside it: "Octave". An Octave is known as a higher or lower variety of the any note. For example, the open E string is a lower Octave of the note you find on the 7th fret on the A string. See? Same note, just a different octave. While were on octaves, also, I want you to notice something. Every 7th fret of every string is the exact same note as the 12th fret on the string above. Also: Every 5th fret of every string is actually the same note as the open string below. This goes for every string except the G and B strings. You use this concept in tuning. Play these notes below and you will understand exactly how it works.
Now, An Octave Chord is where you take any note and find its octave and use them at the same time. This gives the note a bass and a treble variety to it. Below are a couple octave chords on the top 3 strings. Notice that if you put your ring finger right above every note on the D (3rd) string, it would simply make a Full Power Chord. *Note all "X"'s in the figure are "dead notes", that is they are completely muted with your lower index finger so that only the first and third strings are heard.
At first these chords may be hard to get just right (that is the hardest part being getting that middle note to mute just right). But with practice, you will be able to make one when and wherever you wish like its second nature!
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