Video Question: Power Chords

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Date: November 5th, 2007 | Length: 1.5 | Instructor: David MacKenzie

Shelby67 asks: "Are power shords always played with a downstroke?" Another benefit of being a member of JamPlay is the video response section. Our expert staff fields questions from our members and provides video responses each week.

Other Video Responses:

Muting - September 24th, 2008 (4 minutes, 58 seconds)

Ricky54326 asks, "Hey guys. I just started learning some chords, and I can do the ones that are 2-3 fingers like Em, D, G, etc but once I get to like the ones that involve barring and finger independence and the such, like F#m, it gets very hard for me to do them without muting other strings. Sometimes I can't even play ones like D or G without muting my other strings either, any advice for posture? Also should i be memorizing these chords? Or just learning how to play them when i see the chord tablature? Thanks again jamplay and keep up the damn good work :) -Ricky54326" View Response

Fast Picking - July 18th, 2008 (3 minutes, 34 seconds)

StephenWhan asks, "Can you give any advice as to how to improve fast picking techniques? By way of example, I've been messing around with the intro to Iron Maiden's "Wasted Years" for a while now and find that I keep missing the string every 3-4 picks. Either I miss the string altogether, or I dig too deep into the preceding note and it throws off my rhythm. I've tried practicing without using my left hand and get fairly accurate relatively quickly, but as soon as I re-introduce the left and start depressing strings, I go right back to missing strings again. Slowing down, I'm 100%, so it's the tempo and length of the repetition that's throwing me off. Any and all help, as always, is greatly appreciated. Jam on!" View Response

Tablature Numbers - May 19th, 2007 (1 minutes, 20 seconds)

Jason Z asks "When reading tablature i know the numbers on the line represent the fret to be played but what does is mean when there is a 3b on a line?" View Response

F#m7 Problems - February 21st, 2008 (3 minutes, 26 seconds)

JZcode says, "To any of the Rock Instructors, I'm trying to learn a David Gilmour song and having trouble with this chord. The way they show it in the tab book is #1 string open, #2&3 string fretted at 2nd fret, #4&5 string fretted at the 4th fret and thumb on the 6th string, 3rd fret. This chords alternate about 6 times between the Gmaj7, the 1 thru 4 string version starting on the 1st string 2nd fret. Could you give me some idea on how to do this or the best alternate to go with. I have looked at the F#m barre chord at the 2nd fret that is almost the same chord except the #1 string is barred not open. The other thing I have been working on is barring the #2 and 3 string leaving the #1 open. It's not easy and it leaves the #6 string open. Since most of us don't have Eric Clapton size hands, how would you guys approach this type of problem." View Response

Playing Lead and Scales - April 11th, 2008 (1 minutes, 10 seconds)

Larryjfr asks, "I'm just curious to see if I really heard what I thought I heard Steve say? My comment arose because I thought I was understanding the Diatonic Major Scale and Pattern, and the Two Octave Pattern and the Two Octave Pattern on the 5th string. As I was watching Steve's explanation on Scene 5 (Two Octave Pattern) and especially Scene 6 (Two Octave Pattern on 5th String) There were a couple of times Steve was talking about playing the scale on the 5th "fret" and the 6th "fret", yet, I think he meant to say, that he was starting to play the scales on either the 5th string or the 6th string. Because at the time I was watching him, he was playing the scales on 3rd fret, 5th fret and 8th frets also showing us how to always look for the beginning of the scale plus look for what is situated next to it. Also he was explaining how this Two Octave Pattern scale pattern begins on the 5th string, not the sixth string. Yet, he kept saying "playing it on the 5th fret and the 6th fret". I was a little confused ... yet ... I kept expecting him to correct himself ... and ... when he didn't ... I started questioning myself, did I misunderstand him... or ... did I miss something? Steve, thanks for the JamPlay lessons ... I've learned a lot from you is these 14 lessons! Larry F." View Response