Jump to content
HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO ALL OUR HARMONY CENTRAL FORUMITES AND GUESTS!! ×

"You really got me" Can i leave the root off the power chord?


Recommended Posts

  • Members
Posted

For playing a cover of "you really got me" can i just leave the root note off the power chord, and just play doublestops, or will it not be effective if i play it live? im afraid if i do it this way i may be missing something

 

its just annoying keeping that root note down with all that movement, when i leave off the root and just hit it like double stops it comes out sounding much cleaner.

  • Members
Posted

Depends on the feel you are going for so yes you can.

 

I probably wouldn't if it was Van Halen's version, but if it's the Kinks version you could probably get away with it.

 

Try both - do what sounds better. Not what's easier.

  • Members
Posted

if you do it without the root, then fifth is what ends up sounding like the root, so it would sound like you were playing a fourth chord a fifth up from where you're 'supposed to', but it might sound pretty good that way anyways

  • Members
Posted

If you play it in A just use single note G 3rd fret 6th string. Open A chord form. Then when you move to B, use 5th string power chord w/ open A single note.

So the only time you'd need to move is on the E to D, which I avoid on this song by leaving the E as the root of the D chord. At the 7th fret barre, 5th str pwr chord, and just lift your 3rd (or 4th) finger and barre strings 5 thru 2 with 1st finger.

And/or practice moving chord form cleanly, which is not all that easy but SO important.

:thu:

  • Members
Posted

if you do it without the root, then fifth is what ends up sounding like the root, so it would sound like you were playing a fourth chord a fifth up from where you're 'supposed to'

Probably not. An isolated 4th interval usually sounds like an inverted 5th - ie the top note sounds like the root. IOW, it would still work.

After all, that's how the opening of Smoke on The Water is usually played: parallel 4ths on the 4th and 3rd strings. The top note is the root in each case.

 

You Really Got Me should (in theory, given a good guitar tone) work in the same way - provided a 2nd guitar or bass comes in to play the low roots.

 

Of course it's better to play it with the low root to start with, if you can - but the important thing is that it sounds clean and strong, not subject to fluffed notes

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...