Power chords practice - do you have song suggestions that are not too fast please?

Hi friends! I just finished all power chords module, and well really struggling a little bit. I learned cocaine, smoke under the water and seven nation army. Smoke under the water sounds kind of acceptable, but really struggling with seven nation army and cocaine, i feel they are too fast, i tried some nirvana songs but worse, cant keep up with maintaining the shape of the chord, moving and muting the right strings. So do anyone have some rock songs suggestions that are more slow? I was thinking that I want to play several rock songs with clean sound for a couple of months before start with the next module.

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Hi Vanessa,

Instead of picking a new song, just pick one or two that you really like and slow the tempo way down until you can play them comfortably. It may feel really slow at first, but as your technique improves, you will be able to gradually increase the speed to full tempo. It’s always going to be harder trying something new at full speed from the get go, but if you slow down and keep working at it, you’ll get it :+1:

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I also struggled a lot with power chords at the start and I agree that there is nothing like slowing it down. If you want something else Justin also has a series of exercises on power chords: https://www.justinguitar.com/modules/master-rock-power-chords

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Holy Diver by Dio could be one for you to have a look at. Not too complicated in terms of song structure with a simple steady set of power chord riffs throughout.

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I think Iron Man is a good candidate.
Perhaps Kryptonite (3 Doors Down) is another good choice. It also has a tricky B minor but if you want to just practice power chords you can skip to the chorus.
Again, if you only want to work on power chords, the chorus of Still Loving You by Scorpions is a good option.

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Try this: https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/12-bar-shuffle-riff-bg-1306

which is good because variations can be played down the length of the neck

or look at any AC/DC song like Back in Black, for example. And use a clean amp tone so you can hear if you’re fingering is sloppy.

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Well I would say this could be part of the reason.

Alot of people want to just fly through and believe they will catch on right away! Now, some may, but most of us won’t! It’s a matter of knowing those chords well. Really practicing the changes and switches between 6th string and 5th string perfectly and slowly, muting the proper strings as well, gradually getting faster…it will just happen…IN TIME for most of us.

I can play 7 nation army and cocaine fairly well now. But that is after easily 6 months practice and more at power chords. At first it felt like I wasn’t getting far, but then all of a sudden I could play it at full tempo! What a magnificent feeling, knowing the hard work payed off!!

Like others have said, pick a few songs in your skill set range or ones you love! Justin has done alot of the leg work for you, so the songs he suggested are probably some of the easier ones already. Play em crazily, painfully slow, perfectly, the muscle memory will kick in, in due time! I promise that! Slow the tempo down if possible when playing the song. If you still can’t follow it, it means practice slowly till you can.

Chord structure and rhythm are key at this point. Lieven’s first motivation club has an excellent way for structure.

Hope this helps.

Rock on!
Darren

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As a beginner these are the songs that I have used to improve. After a few months I can play most of these riffs easily but not perfectly. I still make some mistakes but it feels way more natural.

Scorpions - rock you like a hurricane

Survivor - Eye of the tiger

Dio - Holy diver

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the uk

And when you feel comfortable paying these songs you can start practicing something more advanced like:

White stripes - 7 nation army

Green Day - when I come around

Green Day - holiday

Blur - song 2

We are all different and these songs may be easier o more difficult to play for you but I feel these riffs have helped me to learn power chords in a fun way.

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My current favorite is “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty. I play 2-finger power chords (E5, D5, G5, C5) for the verses and open chords (C, G, D) for the chorus.

It’s good practice for quick changes between root 6 and root 5 power chords, transitioning between power chords and open chords, and the rhythm “push” (changing chords on the “&”).

Song is 114bpm at full speed, but I started slow (70 bpm I think) until I had the quick G5-C5-G5 just before the chorus and the rhythm push under my fingers. Then I just increased the drum track tempo by 10 bpm at a time until I was at full speed.

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Rock You Like A Hurricane is a great suggestion.
But do you seriously say that Holy Diver is easier than 7 Nation Army?

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It probably belongs in the second list you’re right. I’m a big Dio fan and that’s why I played that song from the beginning but it really took me a ton of practice to play it properly.

But 7 nation army is tricky as well. I would definitely mix one of these songs in the beginning just to learn how to place the fingers up and down the fretboard while adding more speed gradually.

Yes. There’s far less travel up/down the neck in Holy Diver and the chords are mainly played at the top end where the fingers are not having to also adjust for narrowing frets.

The 7NA riff is obviously easier but we’re talking about the chord changes here.

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Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” is a pretty cool little tune with a manageable tempo, and a good power chord workout.

Cheers, Shane

Thank you :slight_smile: ! I will keep practicing, I finish the module last week, and you are right sometimes you hear all those amazing songs and want to improve fast haha. Its like learning how to drive a Car and right next wanted to drive a Ferrari in a F1 race. Cocaine sounds terrible for me now (almost like a dying parrot :S ) but I will keep practicing for the next couple of months in slow tempo.

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Absolutely Vanessa! That is an excellent way to look at it!!! It was the same way for me. At first it really didn’t vibe…but with enough perseverance, practice schedule and a bit of patience sometimes you will get it!! I will have to post a video sometime of me doing it now. Even though I am strictly Acoustic or electric/Acoustic a.t.m.

You are right about wanting to hit those cool songs right away…my first go at this, that’s what I did, and got no where near as far as with this course Mr. Justin has developed for us! Slow and perfect, get that muscle memory, rhythm, strum pattern, and all that and the rest will fall into place and one day you will have an “oh” moment. :v::wink:

Rock on girl!
Darren