Session 9: Power Chords: Your Rock Foundation

Duration: 50 minutes

Break: Put the guitar down for 5 minutes at the end of Segment 3. No stretch of playing is then longer than 30 minutes.

Forget everything you know about open chords for the next 50 minutes. Today you learn power chords — stripped-down chords of just two different notes, and the sound that defines rock and metal. Power chords use just two or three strings, do not require full chord shapes, and sound massive with distortion (and satisfyingly punchy on your acoustic). You will also learn palm muting — a technique that gives power chords their signature chugging sound. The payoff: the main riff of “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath, played as single notes.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Play E5 and A5 power chords with a full, clean sound
2. Read power chord TAB notation
3. Apply palm muting to power chords for a tight, percussive sound
4. Move between E5 and A5 power chords at 70 BPM, one strum per click, with a new chord on every click
5. Play the main riff of “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath as single notes (simplified): slowly without the metronome in the session, at 70 BPM by the end of the week

Materials Needed

• Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
• A guitar pick
• A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
• A metronome
• Handout for this session: Power Chord Technique (Levels 1 and 2, read after the session)
• Handout for this session: Understanding Chords (Part 2, read after the session)
• Reference sheets: Chord Chart and Glossary

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Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Hand Warm-Up

Open and close both hands loosely five times. Circle each wrist five times each way. Touch your thumb to each fingertip in turn. Shake the hands out.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE). Before you look at the tuner, guess: too low, too high or right? Then look.

Warm-Up

Play the first 4 measures of the “12-Bar in A” (Session 8) at 70 BPM, D D U U D U pattern. Then play Em → E → Am → D at 65 BPM, one measure each (D/U pattern), for 8 measures. This reviews your open chords before we move to power chords.

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Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Palm Muting (10 minutes)

What Is Palm Muting?

Palm muting is a technique where you rest the edge of your strumming hand (the fleshy part below your little finger, the “karate chop” edge) lightly on the strings just where they cross the saddle (the thin strip on the bridge). This dampens the strings so they produce a short, tight, chunky sound instead of a full, ringing tone.

How to do it:

1. Hold your pick normally.
2. Rest the edge of your strumming-hand palm lightly on the strings just where they cross the saddle (the thin strip on the bridge). On the bridge itself is too far back and mutes nothing; too far towards the soundhole kills the note.
3. The pressure should be light — just enough to dampen the strings without completely silencing them. You want a “chunk” sound, not silence.
4. Strum string 6 (low E). It should sound tight and percussive — “chunk” instead of “ring.”

Palm Muting Exercise

At 60 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes), alternate between ringing notes (O) and palm-muted notes (PM) on string 6 (low E). Use downstrokes:

e|----------------------|-------------------|
B|----------------------|-------------------|
G|----------------------|-------------------|
D|----------------------|-------------------|
A|----------------------|-------------------|
E|------0---0---0---0---|---0---0---0---0---|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
PM:     O   PM  O   PM      O   PM  O   PM

PM = palm muted. O = let the string ring (palm lifted).

The contrast between ringing and muted is what gives rock guitar its dynamic punch. Play the two measures twice (4 measures).

Palm Muting on Two Strings

Now mute strings 6 and 5 together. Stay at 60 BPM, with two strums per click (eighth notes), played down-up: down on the numbers, up on the ”&“s, the same hand motion as your D/U strumming.

e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|------0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
E|------0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Strum:  D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U
PM:     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

All palm muted. This is the chugging sound of rhythm guitar in rock and metal. Keep the tempo even and the muting consistent.

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Segment 3 — New Learning: Power Chords (15 minutes)

What Is a Power Chord?

A power chord is a stripped-down chord of two different notes, a root and its fifth. The root is the note the chord is named after; the fifth is the fifth letter name counting up from it (E, F, G, A, B: the fifth of E is B). It is neither major nor minor — it is neutral, raw, and aggressive. Power chords are written with a “5” after the note name: E5, A5, G5, etc.

E5 Power Chord

E5

OXXXX

1

EADGBe

Step-by-step:

1. Place your index finger (1) on string 5 (A string), fret 2.
2. String 6 (low E) is open.
3. Strum ONLY strings 6 and 5. This is a two-string strum — small and controlled.
4. The other strings should not ring.

Sound check: Pluck string 6, then string 5. Both should ring clearly.

Tuner check, string 6 then string 5: E, B. (With the three-string version: E, B, E.)

Three-string version (optional, fuller sound):

Add your ring finger (3) on string 4 (D string), fret 2. Now strum strings 6, 5, and 4.

E5 (three-string):

• String 6 (E): Open
• String 5 (A): Fret 2, Finger 1 (index)
• String 4 (D): Fret 2, Finger 3 (ring)

A5 Power Chord

A5

XOXXX

1

EADGBe

Step-by-step:

1. Place your index finger (1) on string 4 (D string), fret 2.
2. String 5 (A) is open.
3. Strum ONLY strings 5 and 4. Rest the pick on string 5, then strum from there, so that string 6 stays silent.
4. The other strings should not ring.

Sound check: Pluck string 5, then string 4. Both should ring clearly.

Tuner check, string 5 then string 4: A, E. (With the three-string version: A, E, A.)

Three-string version (optional, fuller sound):

Add finger 3 (ring) on string 3 (G string), fret 2. Strum strings 5, 4, and 3.

E5 ↔ A5 Transition

This transition is simple:

• E5 → A5: Your index finger (1) stays on fret 2 but moves from string 5 to string 4. One string shift.
• A5 → E5: Reverse — index finger from string 4 back to string 5.

Drill: E5 (strum) → A5 (strum) → E5 → A5. One strum per chord. 20 times. No metronome — focus on aiming your strum at the correct two strings.

With metronome: 70 BPM, one strum per click, with a new chord on every click. E5, A5, E5, A5. 8 measures.

Power Chords with Palm Muting

Palm muting is power chords’ best friend. Play E5 with the edge of your palm resting on the strings at the saddle. Go back to 60 BPM, two strums per click (eighth notes), down-up:

e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|------2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|
E|------0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Strum:  D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U
PM:     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

That tight, chugging sound is the essence of rock rhythm guitar.

Then play the same on A5 (strings 5 and 4), and alternate: one measure of E5, one measure of A5, 4 measures in all.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

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Segment 4 — Song Workshop: “Iron Man” — Black Sabbath (15 minutes)

Song Information

Song: “Iron Man” — main riff, single-note version (simplified) Artist: Black Sabbath Album: Paranoid (1970) Credits: Written by Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Recorded by Black Sabbath on Paranoid (1970). What you are learning: The main riff, as single notes. When the band first plays this riff on the record, each of these notes is a power chord; you will be able to play it that way after Session 20. The riff itself uses neither the power chords nor the palm muting you have just learned: those keep their own drills in Segments 2 and 3 and in this week’s practice plan.

Listen first: Find Black Sabbath’s recording of “Iron Man” (Paranoid, 1970) and listen to the opening and the first verse three times before you pick up the guitar. After the slow opening (a bent low note and a distorted spoken line) the whole band plays this riff twice as heavy chords. Then the singing starts and the guitar plays the same riff as single notes, following the voice: that verse version is the one written here. Listen for: (1) two long notes, then three that move, (2) an answering phrase that starts higher.

What this version is: Simplified. Not yet play-tested. It is in standard tuning and uses the same pitches as the transcriptions of the recording (B, D, E, G), so it should be in tune with the record; that has not been confirmed by ear, and one transcription notes that another track on the same album runs slightly sharp. Two things are simplified: these are single notes, where the band first plays the riff as power chords, and on beat 1 of measure 2 the record plays a quick four-note figure (G, F sharp, G, F sharp) where this version holds one G.

Tempo: Start at 50 BPM and work up to 70 BPM. The click is one beat (a quarter note). 70 BPM is the end-of-week target (the recording is about 70 to 76 BPM according to one transcription; that figure is not confirmed). Technique: Single-note picking at frets 5 and 7 on strings 6, 5 and 4

TAB — “Iron Man” Main Riff, Single-Note Version (Simplified)

The riff uses strings 6, 5 and 4. Every note is at fret 5 or fret 7.

Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.

"Iron Man" — Main Riff, Single-Note Version (Simplified)

e|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|---5-------5-----------------------|
A|--------------5-------5---7---7-------|---------------5---5---7---7-------|
E|------7-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Count:  1       2       3   &   4           1       2   &   3   &   4
Finger: 3       1       1   3   3           1       1   1   1   3   3

Finger guide: Before you start, your hand goes up the neck so that finger 1 is over fret 5 (Step 1 below). Once it is there, the hand stays in one place for the whole riff: finger 1 (index) plays every fret-5 note and finger 3 (ring) plays every fret-7 note.

• Measure 1: string 6 fret 7 = finger 3; string 5 fret 5 = finger 1 (twice); string 5 fret 7 = finger 3 (twice).
• Measure 2: string 4 fret 5 = finger 1 (twice); string 5 fret 5 = finger 1 (twice); string 5 fret 7 = finger 3 (twice).

Within the riff there is no stretch: index and ring two frets apart is the hand’s natural spread, and the little finger is not used. Frets 5 and 7 both have dot markers. Keep the thumb behind the neck, opposite fret 6.

Simplified. Not yet play-tested.

Full Riff Structure

Measure 1 then measure 2 is one cycle. Play the cycle four times (8 measures) and let the last note ring.

How to Learn This Riff

Goal for today: the two measures joined, slowly, without the metronome (Steps 1, 2, 4 and 5). Add the click (Step 3) and build the tempo (Step 6) on your practice days.

Step 1 — Find the place: Move your whole hand along the neck, thumb travelling with it. This is a shift, not a stretch. Stop when finger 1 is over fret 5. Put finger 1 on string 5 at fret 5 and finger 3 on string 5 at fret 7. Both frets have a dot. Your hand stays here for the whole riff.

Step 2 — Measure 1, no metronome: string 6 fret 7, string 5 fret 5, fret 5 again, fret 7, fret 7 again. Downstrokes. Let each note ring.

Step 3 — Measure 1 with the click at 50 BPM: count “1, 2, 3-and, 4”. The first two notes last a whole click each; the next two share click 3; the last note is on click 4.

Step 4 — Measure 2: string 4 fret 5 on 1 and again on 2; then string 5: fret 5 on the “and” of 2, fret 5 on 3, fret 7 on the “and” of 3, fret 7 on 4. Count “1, 2-and, 3-and, 4”. The first note lasts a whole click.

Step 5 — Join the measures: play four cycles without stopping.

Step 6 — Build tempo: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 BPM. Move up only after four clean cycles in a row.

Palm-muting practice (optional): on the record these notes ring. For extra practice, play the riff again with the edge of your palm resting on the strings at the saddle. That is a drill, not how the song sounds.

What it should sound like: Slow and heavy. Two long notes, then three that move, then an answering phrase that starts higher. When the band first plays the riff on the record, the same notes are power chords with distortion; your version is the tune of the riff. Three checks you can make alone:

• Count check: you can say “1, 2, 3-and, 4” and then “1, 2-and, 3-and, 4” aloud while you play the two measures.
• Click check: you play four cycles with the metronome and finish with the click.
• Recording check: record four cycles and listen once for one thing: do the first two notes of measure 1 last a full beat each?

Performance Notes

• Your hand does not move during this riff: finger 1 takes fret 5 and finger 3 takes fret 7.
• Give the long notes their full length. Rushing them is the most common fault.
• Use downstrokes throughout and let every note ring until the next one.

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Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

This session has more new material than most. If your end-of-week check is not all ‘yes’ after one week, take a second week on this session before you move on. The course then takes a week longer, which is normal.

What You Learned Today

• Power chords (E5 and A5) — neutral, aggressive, two-to-three-string chords
• Palm muting — resting the edge of the strumming hand on the strings at the saddle for a tight, percussive sound
• Reading power chord TAB
• Single notes at frets 5 and 7 on strings 6, 5 and 4
• The main riff of “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath, as single notes

Common Mistakes

1. Palm muting too heavy — If the notes sound completely dead, lift your palm slightly. You want “chunk,” not silence.
2. Palm muting too light — If the notes ring fully with no muting, press your palm a little more firmly on the strings, or move it a few millimetres towards the soundhole. Find the sweet spot.
3. Strumming too many strings on power chords — E5 is only strings 6+5 (or 6+5+4). If you hear higher strings ringing, you are strumming too wide. Keep the strum tight and focused.
4. Reaching instead of placing the hand — Put finger 1 over fret 5 before you start; finger 3 then sits over fret 7 without a stretch.
5. Rushing the long notes — The first two notes of the riff last one click each. Count them.

Self-Check Questions

1. Can you play E5 with only strings 6 and 5 sounding (no other strings ringing)? Tuner check, string 6 then string 5: E, B. If not: repeat the drill under “E5 ↔ A5 Transition” in Segment 3 (one strum per chord, no metronome), aiming a small strum at the two strings only, and check again the next day.
2. Does your palm muting produce a consistent “chunk” sound, not a dead silence? Record 4 measures of palm-muted eighth notes and listen once: does every note have the same short “chunk”? If not: repeat “Palm Muting on Two Strings” in Segment 2 at 60 BPM, moving your palm as Common Mistakes 1 and 2 describe, and record again the next day.
3. Can you move between E5 and A5 at 70 BPM, one strum per click with a new chord on every click, for 8 measures, with only the two strings of each chord sounding? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to the drill under “E5 ↔ A5 Transition” in Segment 3, with no metronome, for two days, then try again.
4. Can you play all eleven notes of the riff slowly, each on the right string and fret, three times in a row? If not: go back to Steps 2 and 4 of “How to Learn This Riff” (one measure at a time, no metronome), then try again the next day.
5. Can you play the two-measure riff four times in a row at 65 BPM (the click is one beat), with the long and short notes in the right places? If not: go back to 60 BPM in “Step 6 — Build tempo” for two days, then try again.

Practice Plan for Week 9 (each practice day, 21 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune
Open Chord Review	3 min	A → D → E → Em → Am, four beats per chord (one measure each), strumming D/U at 70 BPM. Repeat until the time is up
Palm Muting	4 min	Palm-muted eighth notes (two per click, down-up) on string 6, then strings 6+5, 4 measures each. Start at 60 BPM and move up 5 BPM at a time to 70 BPM. Repeat until the time is up
Power Chord Drill	3 min	E5 → A5 at 70 BPM, one strum per click with a new chord on every click, 20 times. Then palm-muted eighth notes: one measure of E5, one measure of A5. Repeat until the time is up
Iron Man Riff	8 min	Measure 1 + measure 2 = one cycle. Start at 50 BPM and work toward 70 BPM, 5 BPM at a time. Aim for 4 clean cycles without stopping. Repeat until the time is up

This is your plan for the whole week. The end-of-week check is in Weekly Plans Phase 1 2, Week 9.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

Power chords on an acoustic guitar sound different from power chords on an electric with distortion — and that is not a bad thing. Your Saga SF-600C-BK produces a clean, punchy power chord sound that trains your ears to hear the raw harmonic quality. When you eventually play through an amplifier with distortion, your power chords will sound massive because you have already developed clean technique. Also, the Saga’s steel strings respond well to palm muting — with the edge of your palm resting on the strings just where they cross the saddle, the strings still vibrate with that characteristic “chunk.”

After the session (not part of the 50 minutes)

• Read: Power Chord Technique, the sections “Level 1 — E5 and A5 Power Chords (From Session 9)” and “Level 2 — Palm-Muted Power Chords (From Session 9)”. Leave “Level 3 — Moveable Power Chords and the “Iron Man” Riff (after Session 20)” until after Session 20. (5 minutes)
• Read: Understanding Chords, the section “Part 2 (After Session 9): Power Chords — Neither Major Nor Minor” (3 minutes).