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6.2.10 Power Chords: What Are Guitar Power Chords, Anyway?
Power chords are chords that had to be invented after electric guitar players started overdriving preamplifiers and speakers to create massively distorted sound. Heavy metal, heavy rock, and punk music characteristically employ power chords.
(Not to be confused with power cords, cables that connect devices such as guitar amps to power sources such as power bars or wall sockets.)
The legendary rock guitarist Link Wray is generally credited with inventing the power chord. He pioneered the use of distortion and feedback in electric guitar playing. For example, he would deliberately punch holes in the speakers of his guitar amp in order to achieve a satisfactorily distorted sound.