power chords

[grazzhoppa]

ok, i'm a little bit confused about how to play power chords. The book I'm using, now, says to use the two finger approach
(F5)

1-----
------
-3----

or use 3 fingers
(F5)

1-----
------
-34---

and now I read the lessons and it says to barre it, and I find that it's hard to that.

Which way is better?
(I'm more comfortable using the 3 fingers)

[StoneDragon]

You can use 3 fingers, but that ties up your pinky, so it can't be used for "other" things around the power chord.

In actuality you don't need to play all three notes, anyway. You can just use your index on the root and your ring on the 5th and call it good. That is better than needlessly inhibiting your pinky.

[Gazaridis]

That book seems confusing to me too - Power chords usually played as shown in (I), but they can be played as in (II) - the 3rd fret of the D string is simply the octave of the 1st fret of the E string - technically they are the same note, so it looks like (from your tab) you are just playing two F notes together. Anyway, here's tab -

E---1--------1-----
A---3--------3-----
D---3---------------
.....(I)........(II)

[This message has been edited by Gazaridis (edited February 11, 2001).]