Set your amp to overdrive because it's time to learn some rock style chords (power chords) and a technique used all the time in heavy metal music known as palm muting.

Power Chords
A chord is a collection of notes from a scale played simultaneously. A power chord uses a root note plus the 5th note from the scale so an A power chord is written as A5 an E powerchord is E5 and so on.

   
A5
E major chord window
Tip - Try this alternative A5 power chord fingering.
A5
E major chord window
   
E5
E major chord window

Tip - Try this alternative A5 power chord fingering.
E5
E major chord window
   
G5
E major chord window
 
Note - The G5 chord requires you to mute the A string with the underside of your 1st finger.
   
D5
E major chord window

Tip - Try this alternative A5 power chord fingering.
D5
E major chord window

Tip - Remember power chords require an overdriven tone from your amp.
 


Palm Muting
You're probably familiar with the heavy crunch sound in heavy metal, well that's palm muting. Here's how to do it. Place the palm of your right hand on the strings between the bridge and your middle pickup. The aim is to deaden the strings completely.

When your hand is in the correct position pick the desired string or strings as normal. Practice palm muting with the exercise below.
 
Palm Muting 1
Note - Palm muting is often abbreviated to P.M.
 
Tip - Just like power chords, a heavy metal tone is required from your amp for palm muting.
 
The riff below uses the 4 power chords from this lesson and the palm muting technique.
 
Palm Muting 2
 
Guitar Settings
Setting Up Your Guitar and Amp
These are the Marshall Rock-Kit guitar and amp settings used by us for the sound file recordings that accompany this lesson.
 

Amp Settings