What do you call power chords with chord symbols?

**Hep To The Jive** · Today, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

Well I suppose Pete and Tony Iommi are big jazz guitar fans…

There seems a few things I'd pull up in your post:
1) you would only use power chords of tertian chords didn't sound good (no - you might use them because they sound different, tighter perhaps)
2) perhaps an implication that I'm suggesting full chords don't sound good with a crunchy amp (I agree that they do sound good)
3) That rock (as opposed to metal) rhythm players such as those mentioned include thirds in all their chords (Which they clearly don't, the ratio presumably varying from player to player)
4) That even if this is the case, the intuitive physical aspects of music making can in some way be overlooked because they weren't 'intentional' (which I completely reject)

I always used to think of rock guitar as simple, but there’s a lot of nuance and precision in the best rock rhythm guitarists. What notes they include and don’t are important details, even if it’s intuitive. Their job is not just to groove but to shape the energy of the song along with the drummer via orchestration (for want of a better word). How you mute chords and so on is really important. Power chords have been part of the toolkit for a long time.

EDIT: another thing that occurs is that left hand muting which naturally comes out of thumb-over position means that you can get the rhythmic percussive effect of playing a whole chord when you are actually being highly selective about what notes you are letting ring. As Paul Gilbert points out that’s also where a lot of schooled players go wrong with lead too. So their playing lacks vibe and energy.

It’s to allow the energy of unrestrained left hand strum with a lot do control in what notes are sounding and which are not. It’s not something that is taught to classical players of course, but it unites, say Freddie Green and Malcolm Young. It’s something I think you learn by playing music in bands.

It’s a huge thing, and extremely relevant for jazz rhythm guitar too (and old school pick style comping which is of course big and clever.)

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That's what I did, and am doing. Malcolm style is my bread and butter when it comes to playing rhythm in rock context, and even pop. I think that's why I'm getting work actually. Highly recommend Monsters Of Rock in Donington 1991 (or 90?), it's the best instructional video how to play in a band lol

Anyway, again I would never think of them as power chord band. On each song where they use it there's 10 where they don't. If you wanna teach a kid about power chords give them Iron Man, or Master Of Puppets, Highway Star... I'd never teach Back In Black and say hey it's power chords here. No, fret the full open chords, mute if you need to, but you don't think of them as power chords.