Editing Power chord (section)

{{Short description|Type of guitar chord}}
{{about||the Mike Krol album|Power Chords (album)}}
{{distinguish|Power cord}}
{{Infobox chord
| chord_name      = Power chord
| first_interval  = [[root (chord)|root]]
| second_interval = [[perfect fifth]]
| tuning          = [[just intonation|2:3:4]]
}}
[[Image:Power chord on E.svg|thumb|300px|E5 power chord in eighth notes {{Audio|Power chord on E.mid|play}}]]
[[File:Power chord fondamentale sulla quinta corda.JPG|thumb|right|200px|A power chord being fretted]]

A '''power chord''' {{audio|Power chord on E.ogg|Play}}, also called a '''fifth chord''', is a [[colloquialism|colloquial]] name for a [[chord (music)|chord]] on guitar, especially on [[electric guitar]], that consists of the [[root (chord)|root note]] and the [[Fifth (chord)|fifth]], as well as possibly [[octave]]s of those notes. Power chords are commonly played with an [[Guitar amplifier|amp]] with intentionally added [[Distortion (music)|distortion]] or overdrive [[effects unit|effects]]. Power chords are a key element of many styles of [[rock music|rock]],<ref>[http://www.melbay.com/guitarglossary.asp "Glossary of Guitar Terms"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071115175447/http://www.melbay.com/guitarglossary.asp |date=2007-11-15 }}, ''Mel Bay Publications, Inc.'' "A chord consisting of the first (root), fifth and eighth degree (octave) of the scale. Power chords are typically used in playing rock music."</ref> especially [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[punk rock]].