What is the equivalent to the 80's power chord?

Scottgman

Scottgman

Legend in Own Mind
I was just pondering this yesterday and I was curious what other guitarists thought.

If I had to use two words to describe guitar playing in the 80s, it would be "power chord." I mean, everybody from Motley Crue to Poison to Ratt to Quiet Riot utilized power chords in almost every song.

So I started wondering if there was some chord formation or style in today's music that is so ubiquitous that it is analogous to the power chord in 80s music.

The closest I could come up with is the octave chord (for lack of a better name)... you know... the power chord minus the 5th:

E------------------
B------------------
G-------------7---
D----5--------x---
A----x--------5---
E----3------------

It seemed to be popular in the 90s-- possibly due to Dave Navarros work in Janes Addiction. And you do hear these chords in today's music fairly often.

What say you?
 
Yes you do.

listen to Foo Fighters or Smashing Pumpkins..

Particulary Foo Fighters - Everlong and even more so Smashing pumpkins - cherub rock
 
id have to agree, and say power chords are really big...it seems no bands today have talent anymore, hardly any use open chords, and if they do, it's an open E...
 
two fingers?!!! bah!, I drop tune the E and then I can play with ONE! finger. I like to play with the middle finger cause it shows attitude!
 
The 90's was all about drop D tuning, obviously, no news there.

I think the trend of songs in E where there is no 3rd, and the B and high E string drone through all the chords has become a signature sound of today.

--E(no3)---Bsus/E------A2---------C#m-----CMAJ7

E---0---------0---------0-----------0---------0
B---0---------0---------0-----------0---------0
G---9---------8---------6-----------6---------5
D---9---------9---------7-----------6---------5
A---7---------7---------0-----------4---------3
E---0---------0---------X-----------X---------X

I can think of songs by Jars of clay, Sixpence None the Richer, Delerious, Goo Goo Dolls, and more that use this.
 
Good call! I think you may have the winner! I can think of several songs using those style of chords.
 
lol.. no thank you for entertaining my ridiculous pondering. I've been bored at work all day if you can't tell.
 
Aww geez, I gotta stop reading this stuff. I had no idea those chords were the new thing, now I gotta stop using them.

Damnit!~
 
jake-owa said:
Aww geez, I gotta stop reading this stuff. I had no idea those chords were the new thing, now I gotta stop using them.

Damnit!~
Click to expand...

Didn't say they were the "new thing", just kind of becoming a signature sound of modern guitar oriented stuff.

I've heard people use that stuff for the last 15 years, but it was more fringe, now most everybody's doing it at some point.
 
64Firebird said:
It'll be back. We just need someone that's doing something new, but still simple. In other words, we need a young Van Halen.
Click to expand...


That would be awesome. I hope you're right!
 
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