YellowJacket
Well-known member
Most average beginner / intermediate guitarists use power chords when playing with dirt. While I had several chords that I like using for dirty playing, I have been trying to expand my palette and I'm curious what you all like using when playing with gain.
Power Chord Extensions: Stacked fifth extension. So basically a three note ninth chord. Pretty common. There is also the major 7th extension to a power chord which is the fifth and then a major third on top of that. I also like A string power chords with a fourth lower. In drop D I like to play a barre chord with a D major form on top of it. I also like three note barre chords with the third of the chord voiced on the D string. I also use complete bar chords with a light pick attack for a clear and resonant sound. Great for punk rock or lighter rock.
Triad based chords: I definitely like using Mustaine style thirds but I have extended these too. 1) Major and minor triads. These are a bit awkward to play at first but are definitely thicker and more lush than fifth and fourth based chords. 2) Third with fourth lower extension. For A string thirds, I like to play the fourth below the root to thicken the sound and make it deeper / darker. Sounds HUGE. 3) Thirds with an octave extension. I actually picked this up from a Mesa Boogie demo. It is a third chord but with the mediant degree also voiced an octave higher. You play the E A and G strings while muting the D string.
4) I also like playing a major third with a seventh extension which can then resolve to the octave. A minor third with an octave extension of the root can also be played.
Sixths: I so far have been practicing my sixth doublestops and I use them as simple two note voicings. It is a much more open sonority and is better for lighter music but still can be nice during a solo.
Dissonant Chords: I've worked with these a little bit. The basic one is a tritone. Play a powerchord and then drop the upper note a halfstep to make a diminished fifth. This is downright ugly but probably a mainstay for many metal players. I like to play this 'detuned' power chord on the A string with a fourth extension below the root and a fourth above the upper note. Basically, you barre the bottom and the top to get a four note chord with a super phat and intense grind. Another option is a two note doublestop in the interval of a second. You have to play this with a four or five fret stretch but it could make for some juicy metal harmonies.
Power Chord Extensions: Stacked fifth extension. So basically a three note ninth chord. Pretty common. There is also the major 7th extension to a power chord which is the fifth and then a major third on top of that. I also like A string power chords with a fourth lower. In drop D I like to play a barre chord with a D major form on top of it. I also like three note barre chords with the third of the chord voiced on the D string. I also use complete bar chords with a light pick attack for a clear and resonant sound. Great for punk rock or lighter rock.
Triad based chords: I definitely like using Mustaine style thirds but I have extended these too. 1) Major and minor triads. These are a bit awkward to play at first but are definitely thicker and more lush than fifth and fourth based chords. 2) Third with fourth lower extension. For A string thirds, I like to play the fourth below the root to thicken the sound and make it deeper / darker. Sounds HUGE. 3) Thirds with an octave extension. I actually picked this up from a Mesa Boogie demo. It is a third chord but with the mediant degree also voiced an octave higher. You play the E A and G strings while muting the D string.
4) I also like playing a major third with a seventh extension which can then resolve to the octave. A minor third with an octave extension of the root can also be played.
Sixths: I so far have been practicing my sixth doublestops and I use them as simple two note voicings. It is a much more open sonority and is better for lighter music but still can be nice during a solo.
Dissonant Chords: I've worked with these a little bit. The basic one is a tritone. Play a powerchord and then drop the upper note a halfstep to make a diminished fifth. This is downright ugly but probably a mainstay for many metal players. I like to play this 'detuned' power chord on the A string with a fourth extension below the root and a fourth above the upper note. Basically, you barre the bottom and the top to get a four note chord with a super phat and intense grind. Another option is a two note doublestop in the interval of a second. You have to play this with a four or five fret stretch but it could make for some juicy metal harmonies.