Originally Posted by DrDan
Originally Posted by MarioD
[quote=Bass Thumper]...................................................

Every time I hear the term "power chord" the hair stands up on the back of my neck! A 1 & 5 of a scale does not make a chord! Dumb guitarist eek

The 1 - 5 intervals actually does have three notes. A power chord is a simplified version of a full chord, using only two notes: the root note and the fifth note from the corresponding scale...BUT the intermodulation of the perfect interval makes the spectrum of the sound expand in both directions, and with enough distortion, a new fundamental frequency component appears (essential a third note) an octave lower than the root note of the chord played without distortion, giving a richer, more bassy and more subjectively "powerful" sound than the undistorted.

Just another dumb guitarist! :eek grin

This dumb guitarist is sticking by the "strict music theory definition" of a chord.

{edit} IMHO calling just two notes a chord is just as bad as Fender calling tremolo vibrato and visa versa.
I'm not trying to start a war between friends but even real 3 note chords have harmonics and we don't call them anything but triads do we.
I say this in all due respect to you Dr. Dan.

Last edited by MarioD; 3 hours ago.
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