When playing Rock "n" Roll or Blues styles, guitarists commonly use power chords with one note being the root note, and the other alternating between the 5th, 6th and flattened 7th degrees. These chords can be referred to as Rock "n" Roll chords, or simply Rock chords.
Written below 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.
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 progression using the above rock chord shapes. Use eighth note strums and only play the 5th and 4th strings. Use only down strums as this sounds better when playing the Rock chords in the following examples.
Play the two previous examples as a two bar pattern.
Written below are the two string rock chord shapes for D, D6 and D7. Play only the 4th and 3rd strings.
D
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.
Written below are the two string rock chord shapes for E, E6 and E7. Play only the 6th and 5th strings.
E
E6
E7
Play the following two bar chord progression using the above rock chord shapes. Use only downward eighth note strums.