The Fretboard: The 6 Power Chord Shapes in the Key of C

Here are the 6 Power Chords in the key of C where the root notes are on just the bass strings (and not beyond the 12th fret). The root notes in each chord are in red.

C5	D5	E5
F5	G5	A5

Here’s one important thing about actually playing these shapes: you only strum the strings that the shape sits on. A power chord on the bass strings is just 2 strings (the root and its 5th), so you don’t want to strum all six. If the extra strings ring out, the chord will sound muddy and confused. The fix is to mute the strings you’re not playing: lightly rest a free finger across them so they stay quiet, and aim your strumming hand at just the strings in the shape. It feels awkward at first, but with a little practice the muting becomes automatic.

Building the Power Chords in Standard Notation and Tab

Remember: scale degrees typically have a little caret above each number (also called a circumflex). Chord degrees do not have that special notation. The first chord degree is called the root. The first scale degree is called the tonic.