The John Petrucci Guitar Method - Episode 3: Power Chords

In episode 3 of "The John Petrucci Guitar Method" John discusses the importance of power chords and their slight variations.

[lokielrumbero]

I love it when incredibly gifted guitar legends take the time to explain simple basic things, it makes them look human again xD inspiring for sure

[styles.bichley]

It's always great to hear an accomplished guitarist give Alex Lifeson props, because he is possibly to most overlooked influential guitarists of all time :(

[miked]

I dont think i have ever heard a guitar so perfectly intoned.

[yabo]

In my opinion John Petrucci is the greatest Ambassador to metal guitar. Nobody breaks it down like him. My favorite guitar player of the last 30 years is John. His sound, technical approach, y overall guitar playing is unmatched !

[francescob.]

this video alone has changed a lot the way I play power chords. This is such unbelievably precious information.

[UnityTheorem]

All I need is for John Petrucci to be my guitar teacher for 6 months and I would finally be able to fully understand all those nuances that have confounded me for 30 years. He has such a great method of explaining his intentions.

[Elyoslayer]

John just opens your eyes when you see him analyze how Chords and Power Chords can be played, i have seen quite a bit of material from him and it's been truly amazing!

[dustoffmedic]

Finally someone who mentions Queensryche! Now he’s even cooler...if that was possible

[Babs]

His tone is so beefy and yet chimey. God I love it.

[BHAKTIBROPHY]

This is where theory comes in handy, kids. U2 played the infamous 1 - (5 - 4 - 3) power, or double stop, riff in 1983 on the WAR album, but WITHOUT the pedal 5th in the bass, and no doubled notes etc.. John took that technique HE learned from Queensrýche and added the extra 5th in the bass and in the open string... I learned this from his 1993 instructional video and it added such a meatier sound to my playing. The added 9th was my favorite (another sus chord, but theoretically called an add 9 because it's an octave higher than the 2nd)... but without the third it's beautiful; with a minor third even moreso (1-5-9-b3), it's no longer a power chord, but a minor(add9). A powerful chord to have in your toolbox.
Anyway-- it's amazing when you don't need the tab to know what he's doing, because he's pulling everything from the E major scale (except the last example in the key of Em [Relative G major, which is why C & D are major chords)... it's a beautiful thing to be able to see the patterns a player is culling the notes from just by watching. Something I learned from Vai (and PLEASE don't waste time saying who's a better player. I'm friends with Steve-- he said he and John [and Joe] are like brothers and call each other to bounce ideas off each other all the time. They think this comparing of the three is ridiculous).
So thank you Guitar World and John for taking the time to explain the Rush extended power chords technique, and John's ultimate technique. Great lesson! Guitar World was a priceless tomb from 1980 - 1990, my first 15 years of playing. I still have Steve's 10 Hour Workout from 1990. Thanks for all the Dream Theater, Vai, and Satch cover stories throughout your almost 40 year anniversary.
It's a beautiful thing to finally be able to hearing the chords John's playing and recognizing the intervals. The diminished 5th (b5) is brilliant as a power chord! (Smoke on The Water is a 1-4 power chord, as you know. But good place to really hear the difference between the basic 1-5 and 1-4 power chords. The fact that they're Perfect intervals really makes then resonate harmonically.)
Great lesson!!

[nevigo]

I'm blown away just by the friggin sound. Damn.

[TheStarcraftJunkie]

But which knob controls the rate of the Earth's revolution?

[ciesinsk]

JP is such an incredible person. The explanations make perfect sense. The thing about the double-stop chords being a hint for major or minor also occured to me during ny guitar playing, but I was never able to actually identify it as being just this.

BTW: He talks so gentle and IS so gentle, he even mutes his guitar gently as he accidentally rings some strings while he talks at around 6:42. :) I just love listening to him, either talking or playing.

[barrygerenski]

I just think it's great that the greats of the guitar world like JP and Joe Satriani and Steve Vai take time and explain there mastery of their craft.

[bestboy]

Simple yet so effective plus John is such a humble and cool guy.

[narasimhaniyer]

One of the most enlightening videos on power chords I must say.

[SuperMrThom]

He's such a legend and at the same time so humble, he doesn't understand how to mere mortals this is magic. Great guy - unbelievable player.

[danopticon]

In an odd way, that it could take 16 minutes (and change) to explain power chords is what forced me to watch this video — WHAT COULD I HAVE BEEN MISSING ALL THESE YEARS!?? A lot, it seems!

[Soldano]

This was fascinating. I am a huge fan of double stops and similar techniques based on creating a tension and resolving it, but hearing it explained so clearly helps me realise what i'm doing.

[sn_mustang_garage]

I'm such a power chord geek, I love this stuff. Maybe because I was teenager in the late 80's and power chords were the thing. My favorite guitarist is John Sykes and the first Whitesnake hit album from 1987 was power chord heaven.