Power Chords: How to Play Power Chords on Electric Guitar
Power chords (written as a "5", e.g. E5) are the most common chord in electric guitar riffs, and physically easier to play than regular open chords.
Only two different notes
Unlike a regular triad (3 different notes), a power chord has only two - the root and the fifth. Because of that it has no 'major' or 'minor' color at all - it sounds equally at home in a major or a minor piece of music, which is exactly why it's everywhere in rock and metal riffs.
The shape doesn't change, it just moves
The key property is the movable closed power-chord shape. For example, F5 rooted at fret 1 on the sixth string (1-3-3) becomes G5 at fret 3 (3-5-5). Open E5 (0-2-2) is useful too, but the open string itself cannot slide; moving the chord requires replacing it with a fretted root and using the closed shape.
Usually played palm-muted
Power chords are most often played with light palm muting near the bridge - that muted, chugging sound combined with a distorted guitar tone is exactly what's recognized as a rock or metal riff. Without muting, the same shape sounds more open and ringing.
Why this is a good first electric guitar chord
A power chord only uses 2-3 strings and doesn't require the four-finger stretch that many open chords do - that makes it physically easier for hands not yet used to the neck. And riffs built entirely from power chords are enough to play recognizable parts of a huge number of real songs.
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