Why do some chords include an open string?

[Hei]

hi guys, came across a coupled of them however still don't know why does some have an open string strummed along with the chord, no i'm not referring to open chords or those basic chords that we learnt when we started out.

for example a power chord on the A string, but some power chords include the open low e string, along with the power chord.

is there any reasoning behind this?

 

[VidaK]

nope, no reason at all. it all comes down to chord construction

for example the notes B, E, and G (essentially an E minor chord), you can play them in a hundred different ways on the guitar. thus, some people might choose to have some open strings even if they fret the other notes midway on the neck

 

[ryechua]

it can mean that the player is changing modes or inverting the chords (changing the root). in your example, E is the 3rd note in the triad (A-C#-E). doing so changes the "feel" of the music or the sonic properties.

 

[aremarf]

You're playing a power chord, right?

Like what Vidak says - so long as you're playing chord tones (in an A5 power chord, the chord tones are A and E only) you're not playing anything "wrong".

Chances are you'll be playing a power chord in a band, so you have a bassist, so the inversion you play (whether you have A as the bottom note, or E as the bottom note, doesn't matter - because the bassist will be even lower than you - and what he plays will determine which inversion is really happening) I suspect the E is just there to make your chord sound heavier (more low notes, and more notes = thicker sound too).

But if you do play without a bassist - having that E note on the bottom will have effects like how ryechua described - so in such cases you should care about whether you put A or E as the bottom note.

 

[lester_music]

voicing or chord construction is one thing.....but there is obviously a reason why open strings are chosen against fretted notes...

open strings tend to be more ringing...so sometimes it's chosen to create that ambience effects......play the same voicing without the open string...it will sound different...