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In music, a power chord Play (help·info) (also fifth chord) is a chord consisting of only the root...

In music, a power chord Play (help·info) (also fifth chord) is a chord consisting of only the root note of the chord and the fifth, usually played on electric guitar, and typically through an amplification process that imparts distortion. Power chords are a key element of many styles of rock music. When two or more notes are played through a distortion process which non-linearly transforms the audio signal, additional harmonics are generated at the sums and differences of the frequencies of the harmonics of those notes. When a normal chord (for example, a major or minor chord) consisting of three or more different degrees of the scale is played through distortion, the number of different frequencies generated, and the complex ratios between them, can cause the resulting sound to be messy and indistinct. However, in a power chord, the ratio between the frequencies of the root and fifth is simply 3:2 (see interval) . When played through distortion, this leads to the production of harmonics closely related in frequency to the original two notes, producing a more coherent sound. Additionally, the spectrum of the sound is expanded in both directions, producing a richer, more