Rock · Beginner
Power Up
Two fingers, one movable shape, instant rock. No open chords required.
What you'll know at the end
- The movable power-chord shape, on any root
- E5 and A5, open and fretted
- A clean down-picked punk rhythm
- Seven Nation Army and the Teen Spirit chorus
Skips · Barre chords · Open chords · Palm muting · Lead techniques
The Shape
One shape, two power chords.
The Two-Finger Shape
The movable power-chord shape. Two fingers make G5 — and it slides anywhere.
E5, the Anchor
Your first power chord: open low E plus one finger. Sounds huge.
A5, Same Shape, New String
Same shape, one string over. Open A plus one finger — that's A5.
By the end · You can make a power chord, and it sounds huge.
Move It
Put the shape anywhere on the neck.
The Slide Switch
E5 to A5 and back, no clock. Your hand barely has to move.
Movable Power
Fret the whole shape, then slide it: fret 3 is G5, fret 5 is A5.
All Over the Neck
E5, G5, A5, C5 up the neck. Find each one fast — the shape is your map.
By the end · One shape, any fret.
Rock
Rhythm, a band, two real riffs.
The Down-Down-Down Strum
E5, downstrokes on every click. The rhythm part of a hundred punk songs.
Two-Chord Vamp
E5 a bar, A5 a bar, loop for one minute. No stopping.
Seven Nation Army
One string, six notes — the most recognizable bass line of the 2000s.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
F5, B♭5, A♭5, D♭5 — the Nirvana chorus. Same shape, four homes.
By the end · A punk strum, a vamp, and two riffs anyone knows.
Next: Barre Bootcamp, or open chords in Zero to Hero.