One-finger power chords in Drop D
With the low E string tuned down to D, a power chord is one finger laid across the three low strings, and this riff uses that: palm-muted chugs on the open D, then chords at the 3rd, 5th and 6th frets, and a run down from the 7th to the 1st that leads back to D. Drop D is the most common alternative tuning in rock and metal, and one-finger chords make fast chord changes easy to play and heavy to hear.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 140 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 140 bpm
- Starts at
- 84 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- Drop D
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Beginner
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Lay the first finger flat across the three low strings; let the other fingers rest on the higher strings to mute them.
Tune the low E string down a whole step to D first: the player's tuner shows Drop D for this exercise. With the three low strings tuned D, A and D, a power chord is the same fret on all three, root, fifth and octave.
Each of the first three bars chugs on the open low D, palm-muted, then plays one-finger chords: at the 3rd fret (F5) and the 5th (G5) in bars 1 and 3, the 3rd and the 6th (G sharp 5, the dark one) then the 5th in bar 2. The last bar walks down from the 7th fret (A5) to the 5th, 3rd and 1st, two eighths each, and the 1st fret's E flat 5 falls back onto D.
Every stroke is down. Lay the first finger flat across the three strings, and let the fingertip or the other fingers touch the strings above so they don't ring.
Mistakes to watch for
- Pressing so hard with the barring finger that the chord goes sharp.
- Hitting the G string as well, which turns the power chord into something muddier.
- The chords ringing over the chugs because the finger doesn't release.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 84
- 91
- 98
- 105
- 112
- 119
- 126
- 133
- 140
That's 16 loops and about 2 minutes before you're playing at 140 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play One-finger power chords in Drop D?
The goal is 140 bpm in eighth notes, which is 4.7 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 84 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
How do I tune to Drop D?
Lower the low E string until it matches the D string an octave below: the 12th-fret harmonic on the low string should sound the same as the open D string. Or use the player's tuner, which shows the Drop D notes when this exercise is open.
Do I need heavier strings for Drop D?
No. One string a whole step lower is fine on standard gauges; it just feels a bit looser. Lower tunings, like Drop C and below, are where heavier strings start to help.
More metal exercises
All 21 metal exercises · Scales on the neck · All 107 exercises