Power chords: index-ring, or index-pinky?

[Mago]

my avatar doesn't have a choice!

poor four-finger-fuckers

how many of you do powerchords with the octave with a barre of the pinky or ring? I find that uncomfortable and not very clean...I always use 3 fingers for that kind of powerchords. the only manly ones, as Carlos stated

 

[Sam Bottner]

Index-ring-pinky.

same

 

[Djabthrash]

Index/ring, because it's more comfortable, and it leaves my pinky free to do other things, like adding the octave.

Same here.

But most of the metal guitar players i've seen do index-pinky, especially in the bands i listen to the most...

EDIT : since i have a lot of crazy power chords stuff in my songs and in the stuff i cover (brutal death like Suffocation and Dying Fetus, and hardcore like Terror, Skarhead, Madball...), which makes my hands hurt due to not being relaxed enough, i think i'm gonna give the index-pinky thing a shot.
On the Suffocation "infecting the crypts" riff, it makes perfect sense for instance (way more relaxed and less effort). Still it kills me already to do the change since i've always used index-ring, and i hate the "crammed fingers" thing also

EDIT 2 : funny to see this thread since this is a question i've asked myself frequently over the years... Good to read what does it for you guys and the reasons behind it.

 

[Chris_P_Critter]

Both - usually with the octave as well.

And I squeeze the neck of the guitar really hard sometimes, while I imagine choking the shit out of each of the members of Green Day.

 

[ratsapprentice]

EDIT : since i have a lot of crazy power chords stuff in my songs and in the stuff i cover (brutal death like Suffocation and Dying Fetus, and hardcore like Terror, Skarhead, Madball...), which makes my hands hurt due to not being relaxed enough, i think i'm gonna give the index-pinky thing a shot.
On the Suffocation "infecting the crypts" riff, it makes perfect sense for instance (way more relaxed and less effort). Still it kills me already to do the change since i've always used index-ring, and i hate the "crammed fingers" thing also

Seriously, do it.

It really doesn't take very long to get used to it, and it is definitely worth the effort!

 

[John_C]

Come to think about it I used to switch to index pinky for slow sections in songs to give my ring finger a rest. I really don't think it matters though

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

How does it look uncomfortable? you don't have to do anything other than apply pressure, whereas using the ring finger means you have to splay your fingers

and the photos were to address the claim that no-one ever uses their pinky unless they're noobs

My hands are huge, it's actually more uncomfortable to use my ring in those situations. Plus I also play an extended scale instrument!!!!

I also just don't get how skipping one fret is a stretch between your index and ring?

 

[D.Vial]

For me is index plus ring plus pinky

 

[Harry Hughes]

A lot of it has to do with the actual mechanical construction of the hand, too. Given my hand size and finger thickness, using the index and pinkie on even the 1st and 3rd frets would mean cramming my fingers together. For others, it's a perfect fit.

To add the octave to a power chord, I just roll my ring fingertip so it covers both strings. It's interesting how people differ as far as this stuff goes.

Eeeeeeeeeh, I just find that uncomfortable. I've seen some people do it on the usual A major shape bar chord, but I cringe just looking at that.
I use the octave most of the time, but it's usually index, ring and pinky.

 

[AudioPhile777]

Index/ring, because it's more comfortable, and it leaves my pinky free to do other things, like adding the octave.

This.

I tend to embellish these chords with whatever other note I feel like... thats my pinky's job.

 

[El_Gato]

Both, I wondered why before and it just fits one or another depending on the riffage. I personally find the pinky more comfortable for lower notes.

 

[jangoux]

To add the octave to a power chord, I just roll my ring fingertip so it covers both strings. It's interesting how people differ as far as this stuff goes.

Dude you must have HUGE fingertips lol It is not uncommon to one of my fingers to get stuck between two strings (actually, i have teenage girl-sized hands, so your fingertips must be the right size).

 

[XnaySaturo]

Alternate between index-ring and middle-pinky like a baws with the Dave Mustaine spider trick of doom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-twpY_XQyg

But seriously, index-ring 99.9% of the time. Pinky is just too useful for octave and other notes, plus my hands are too big so ring finger feels more comfortable.

 

[AdamWathan]

Index pinky 99% of the time. Started playing guitar when I was like 7, hands were way too small to do it the other way. Even now it takes more effort to do index-ring than index-pinky on the lower frets.

 

[Plankis]

To me the most logical thing would be to play them as you would with the barchord-version.

 

[Paulie!]

Index-Ring or Middle-Pinky.... that's right... I said it... Spider Riffing FTW...

-P

 

[Paulie!]

Alternate between index-ring and middle-pinky like a baws with the Dave Mustaine spider trick of doom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-twpY_XQyg

But seriously, index-ring 99.9% of the time. Pinky is just too useful for octave and other notes, plus my hands are too big so ring finger feels more comfortable.

Damn it! I gotta start reading whole threads before I post....

EDIT: I'm waiting on someone with pianist hands to come on here and say index-middle, haha.

-P

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Comfortable (28" scale baritone):

Not comfortable:

Because:

In fact this isn't even really that difficult (pinky out of the way to show what I was doing):

Regular scale guitar:

Again, just not fucking comfortable :

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

To each their own I guess. My hand doesn't really look that different from Mustane in that pick so I guess it's more preference than anything.

 

[Wise_One]

When I started playing guitar, I used only index-ring and I didn't play the octave. But when a friend of mine installed a JB on my bridge, I found out that when with the octave the sound was much better and fuller. So, index-ring-pinky for full powerchords.

But when my root is the A string, I don't play the octave, I hate the unwound G...