What are Power Chords on Guitar? and Why Do They Rock!?! The power chord is exactly where the guitar gets it’s energy, it’s thump, growl etc. By playing a Root/Fifth/Root we get a sound that is ingrained in the history of the guitar from Spanish guitar through blues through classic rock and into metal. This lesson explains why and how to get started to play these bad boys! This is the first in a series of lessons that will cover power chords, moving them up the guitar neck and beyond.