what does power chords with a 5th added mean...are they meaner or whimper?

I'm sure a power with the "5th" is just a regular power chord,(since a regular power chord contains the 5th anyway).Root-Fifth-Root on strings 6,5,&4 .

an added fifth power chord is a "stacked
power chord". It is literally a joint power
chord: the root, a note a fifth up, and another note a fifth above the fifth. it doesn't contain the root again and is quite cool sounding: the added note is actually, i think, a 2nd above the root an octave up. It doesn't sound good distorted, however: classic examples would be Andy Summers on the
early police records. Try adding chorus, delay, and occasionally a light overdrive setting. hope this clears that up.

Hey Guys; A fifth is a fifth. Yer basic rock type power chord is a root and a fifth. Lets take a D barre chord at the 5th fret. First finger on the A string 5th fret, 3rd finger barring the D G B strings. That gives you 1 5 1 3 or (root, 5th, root octave higher, and major third) What you can do with this (and this is common) is play the E string at the fifth fret as well as the A. This will give you a 5th an octace lower. Try this with just the E A D and G strings, it's easier and less convulted. Then again experment, prove me wrong.

Also, Geet4life. A A fifth above a fifth is a 9th. And yes you are correct it is the second scale tone an octave higher, which is also a 9th.

This all goes back to the major scale
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do Re
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1(8)(9)

You are going up an ocatve and there are only 7 scale tones so you add seven. The root is the root but the 2nd becomes a 9th, the 4th an 11th, the 6th a 13th and so on. Get it? So if you know a major scale you can figure out the 13th in any key, impress your friends and family with this one. And be well prepared to have someone call you neet!

Enjoy....MH

Mr. Hanky, you know your shit. I know the major scale, mixolydian, etc., etc., but I couldn't tell you whether I was playing a 5th or 35th. Impressive.

KNOW MY SHIT!!??
I AM INSULTED!
I AM TALKING SHIT AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT!!

But seriously, thanks. Yes I've done some studying over the years but I am certainly not the be all end all theory guru. It's funny the way I learned theory is that everything is based off the Major (Ionian) scale. Earlier I mentioned that there are 7 scale tones, Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti.
Well when you play a mode all you are doing is playing that same scale but starting on a different tone. Ex..Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do-->Re
That would be Dorian, starting on the 2nd scale tone. Mixolydian (as you mentioned) starts on the 5th.

Now that is one easy approach to the modes, the problems (or the fun) starts when you analyze them as seperate entities, which they are. What you do then is base all of them off a major scale. The formulas are as follows.
Dorian = Major b3 b7
Phrygian = Major b2 b3 b6 b7
Lydian = Major b5
Mixolydian = Major b7
Aeolian(natural minor)= b3 b6 b7
Locrian = b2 b3 b5 b6 b7

So what I am saying is that if you play a major scale and flat the 7th tone, you are playing mixolydian. Try this in G, you will flat the F# to F natural. Now play a C major scale but start and end on the 5th (G) tone, waddaya got.....G Mixo, the same thing. Just a differnt way of looking at it but both are correct.

This is all interesting but we are putting the cart in front of the horse here, all of this is a little advanced especially without a good understanding of key signatures (circle of 5th's and all that) I hope this helps out in some manner, I really hate to confuse people. Then again it's fun to learn and it's free, or maybe I am talking shit. MH

I second the stacked fifth only because I have seen it on modern tab sheets.
It is the root the fifth and the ninth actually. The fifth off the fifth.
Think of the opening riff to the Police Every Breath You take, Edie Brickells What I am, or if you are into Metal, The chorus to Death's Bite the Pain are fine examples of the "Stacked Fifth".

Jal

the fifth makes it muddy to me...just the one and the three

in radiohead's 'the tourist' from ok computer, the whole song is done with the D string tuned up a step to E. this makes any F form barre chords played into the type of chord you are talking about. it has an interesting effect on the sound of the song.