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Lesson 1 of 3

Octaves and fifths

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An interval is the distance between two notes. Learn intervals as shapes on the neck and as sounds, and you can build any scale or chord from a single root.

Distances are counted in half steps (one fret each). The two most stable intervals are:

  • Octave (12 half steps): the same note, higher. From the E string it's two strings up, two frets higher.
  • Perfect fifth (7 half steps): one string up, two frets higher. The A on the 5th fret of the low E has its fifth, E, on the 7th fret of the A string.

Root, fifth and octave together are the power chord. They sound open and strong, with no major or minor color.

How to play it

The first exercise picks the three notes one at a time in A, G and C. Index finger on the root, ring finger on the fifth, pinky on the octave. The second plays the root and fifth together as a two-note power chord, finishing on a full A5 with the octave on top. The last two exercises do the same from the A string, in D, C and E.

Listen for how the fifth "fits" the root with no tension. The common mistake is letting the open strings ring between chords; rest your fretting fingers lightly on them. Say "root, fifth, octave" as you play the first exercise.

Exercises

Root, fifth, octave

60 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 5
    2. A string, fret 7
    3. D string, fret 7
    4. A string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. low E string, fret 3
    2. A string, fret 5
    3. D string, fret 5
    4. A string, fret 5
  3. Bar 3
    1. low E string, fret 8
    2. A string, fret 10
    3. D string, fret 10
    4. A string, fret 10
  4. Bar 4
    1. low E string, fret 5
    2. A string, fret 7
    3. D string, fret 7
    4. rest

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Fifths as power chords

70 → 120 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7
    2. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7
    3. rest
    4. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7
    5. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
    6. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
    7. rest
    8. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
  2. Bar 2
    1. low E string, fret 8 + A string, fret 10
    2. low E string, fret 8 + A string, fret 10
    3. rest
    4. low E string, fret 8 + A string, fret 10
    5. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    6. rest
    7. rest
    8. rest

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Root, fifth, octave from the A string

60 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. A string, fret 5
    2. D string, fret 7
    3. G string, fret 7
    4. D string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. A string, fret 3
    2. D string, fret 5
    3. G string, fret 5
    4. D string, fret 5
  3. Bar 3
    1. A string, fret 7
    2. D string, fret 9
    3. G string, fret 9
    4. D string, fret 9
  4. Bar 4
    1. A string, fret 5
    2. D string, fret 7
    3. G string, fret 7
    4. rest

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Power chords on the A string

70 → 120 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5
    2. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5
    3. rest
    4. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5
    5. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7
    6. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7
    7. rest
    8. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 9
    2. A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 9
    3. rest
    4. A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 9
    5. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7 + G string, fret 7
    6. rest
    7. rest
    8. rest

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • Find the fifth and octave above any root on the E string without looking at the tab
  • Power-chord riff clean at 120 bpm with no extra strings ringing
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