Rock "n" Roll Chords

Lesson 6/194 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Complete Rhythm Guitar

Rock "n" Roll Chords

When playing Rock "n" Roll or Blues styles, guitarists commonly use power chords that keep the root note the same, and the other note alternating between the 5th, 6th and flattened 7th degrees. These chords can be referred to as Rock "n" Roll chords, or simply Rock chords.

A Rock Chord Shapes

Here are the two-string Rock chord shapes for A, A6 and A7. In all three chord shapes only the 5th and 4th strings are strummed. The open 5th string is the root note (A).

A⁶

A⁷

The open circle with the number 1 inside it indicates that you keep your 1st finger in position even though that note is not being played.

Play the following chord progressions using the above rock chord shapes. Use eighth note strums and only play the 5th and 4th strings. When playing power chords, it is common to use only downstrums, as this achieves the best sound

Here are the previous examples as a two bar pattern.

D Rock Chord Shapes

Now learn the two string rock chord shapes for D, D6 and D7. Play only the 4th and 3rd strings.

D⁶

D⁷

Play the following two bar chord progression using the D rock chord shapes. Use only downward eighth note strums playing the 4th and 3rd strings only.

E Rock Chord Shapes

Here are the two string rock chord shapes for E, E6 and E7. Play only the 6th and 5th strings.

E⁶

E⁷

This two bar chord progression uses the above rock chord shapes. Play only downward eighth note strums.

Play the following 12 bar Blues in the key of A using rock chords. When there are two bars of a chord, substitute a two bar pattern. For the A chord in bars 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 7 and 8, use the two bar pattern in example 63.2. For the D chord in bars 5 and 6, use the two bar progression in example 63.3. Try to play this 12 bar Blues from memory. If you hope to play in a band or even jam with your friends, the ability to play songs from memory is an important skill to develop.

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1- INTRODUCTION 2- The C Major Chord 3- A Major Chord 4- Eighth Note Rhythms 5- Minor Chords 6- F Major Chord 7- B Minor Chord 8- Silent Strums and Continuous Rhythms 9- Suspended Chords 10- Bass Note Rhythm Patterns in Four Four Time 11- Alternative Chord Shapes 12- How to Read Music 13- Notes on the First String 14- LESSON THIRTEEN 15- Notes on the Fourth String 16- Rhythm Notation 17- Learning all the Notes 18- The Major Scale 19- Intervals 20- Understanding Chords 21- Chord Construction – Triads 22- Scale Tone Chords 23- Minor Scales and Keys 24- Relative Keys 25- Minor Key Scale Tone Triads 26- Playing Two Strings Together 27- Rests 28- Identifying Rhythms 29- Syncopation 30- Bar Chords 31- Learning the Whole Fretboard 32- Moveable Chord Shapes in Five Forms 33- Moveable Minor Chord Shapes 34- The Triplet 35- More About 12 Bar Blues 36- Seventh Chords 37- Creating Riffs From Scales 38- Open Position Minor Pentatonic Scale 39- The Blues Scale 40- Boogie Rhythms 41- Sixteenth Notes 42- Major Seventh Chords 43- Ninth Chords 44- Extended Chords 45- Sliding Chords 46- Slurs 47- Modes 48- The Seven Sharp Nine Chord 49- Tritones 50- Chord Embellishment 51- Odd Time Signatures 52- Playing With a Band 53- Playing With a Rhythm Section 54- Putting it all Together 55- Moveable Chord Shapes 56- Tuning 57- Using the Compact Discs 58- Strumming 59- Slide Finger 60- Eighth Note Rhythms Patterns 61- Three Four Time Rhythm Patterns 62- Turnaround Progressions 63- Silent Strum Symbols 64- Alternate Bass Note Picking 65- Major Sixth Chords 66- Tablature 67- Overdrive and Distortion 68- Alternate Picking 69- Notes on the Fifth String 70- Major Chord Formations 71- Tones and Semitones 72- The G Major Scale 73- Interval Qualities 74- Arpeggios 75- Augmented and Diminished Chords 76- Major Key Triad Pattern 77- The Natural Minor Scale 78- Slash Chords 79- Power Chords 80- Percussive Strumming 81- Riffs 82- Changing Between Shapes 83- Note on the Guitar Fretboard 84- Three Note Chord Voicings 85- The Half Bar 86- Strumming Triplets 87- New Topic 88- Moveable 7th Chord Forms 89- E Minor Pentatonic Scale 90- Open Position A Blues Scale 91- Experimenting With Sounds 92- Riffs Using Sixteenth Notes 93- Minor Seventh Chords 94- Eleventh Chords 95- Combining Riffs and Chords 96- Slurs Using Open Strings 97- The Mixolydian Mode 98- 7sus Chords 99- 6ths 100- The Bass 101- Working With Another Guitarist 102- Chord Formulas 103- Electronic Tuning 104- The Seventh Chord 105- 12 Bar Blues 106- Bass Note Rhythm Patterns 107- Alternate Chord Fingerings 108- Rhythm Variations 109- Music Notation 110- Notes on the Second String 111- Notes on the Sixth String 112- Ties 113- Sharps 114- Keys and Key Signatures 115- Interval Distances 116- Transposing 117- The Harmonic Minor Scale 118- Bass Runs 119- Moveable Power Chords 120- Developing Rhythmic Control 121- Notes in More Than One Place 122- Four Note Chord Voicings 123- Three and Four Note Minor Chords Voicings 124- Understanding Triplet Rhythms 125- Voicings 126- Open Position E Blues Scale 127- Common 16th Note Figures 128- Jazz Progressions 129- Thirteenth Chords 130- Sixteenth Note Triplets 131- Swamp Sounds 132- The Dorian Mode 133- 3rds 134- Bass Music Notation 135- Scale Tone Seventh Construction 136- Tuning Your Guitar 137- Chord Progressions 138- The Open Position 139- Notes on the Third String 140- The Lead-in 141- The Chromatic Scale 142- Finding Intervals on the Fretboard 143- Primary Chords 144- The Melodic Minor Scale 145- Chords in Other Minor Keys 146- Right Hand Damping 147- Playing Two Strings With the First Finger 148- Position Playing 149- Root 4 and Root 3 Chords 150- Quarter Note Triplets 151- Superimposing Chord Forms 152- Gaining Control of Sixteenth Notes 153- Chord Construction Chart 154- Other Modes 155- 4ths 156- The Drums 157- Scale Tone 7ths in all Keys 158- Acoustic Guitars 159- Rhythm Patterns 160- The Octave 161- Flats 162- Identifying Intervals by Ear 163- Harmonizing Melodies 164- Table of Minor Scales 165- Transposing in Minor Keys 166- Rock "n" Roll Chords 167- Add Nine Chords 168- Higher and Lower Octaves of Notes 169- Swing Rhythms 170- Power Chord Sixteenth Note Parts 171- Omitting Notes From Chords 172- Major 7ths 173- Drum Notation 174- Altered Chord Formulas 175- Electric Guitars 176- Open Chord Shapes 177- Common Progressions 178- Harmonic Minor Scale Tone Chords 179- Adding Scale Tones To Chords 180- The Shuffle 181- Altered Chords 182- Minor 7ths 183- Amplifiers 184- Chord Shapes 185- Melodic Minor Scale Tone Chords 186- 2nds and 5ths 187- Strings 188- How to Hold the Guitar 189- The Rudiments of Music 190- Time Signatures 191- Note Values 192- Note, Rhythms and Rests 193- Chord Diagrams 194- Rhythm Symbols

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Rock "n" Roll Chords