A power chord (A5) chord on guitar

Looking for the A5 chord on guitar? It is a power chord (root plus perfect fifth, no third), made of two notes: A – E.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

Position 2medium

E shape, fret 5easy

D shape, fret 7medium

A shape, fret 12easy

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the A5 chord sounds like

A power chord has only the root and the fifth, no third, so it is neither major nor minor. With a distorted guitar it sounds the cleanest – the backbone of rock and metal.

Notes of the A5 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A	root
5	E	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position, barre at fret 2

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): not played
String 3 (G): fret 2, middle finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): not played

Position 2

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): not played
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

Position 2, barre at fret 2

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): not played
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): fret 5, little finger (A2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 2; your other fingers press the higher frets.

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing A5 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a A5 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 5
shape: E5

Capo: fret 7
shape: D5

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The A5 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A major: I5 (tonic)
A minor: I5 (tonic)
D major: V5 (dominant)
E major: IV5 (subdominant)
D minor: V5 (dominant)
E minor: IV5 (subdominant)
F major: III5
C major: VI5
G major: II5
B minor: VII5
F♯ minor: III5
C♯ minor: VI5

Similar chords and substitutes

If A5 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A – a major chord can replace the power chord
Am – or a minor chord, depending on the melody

Richer versions

A – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Am – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Asus2 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Asus4 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A5 chord?

A, E. The root is A; the intervals of the other notes from the root: perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play A5 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a E5 shape at fret 5 or a D5 shape at fret 7.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the A5 chord written?

The chord symbol is A5, and its full name is A power chord.