A power chord is the simplest, most-used shape in rock and metal — just the root and the perfect 5th (often with the root doubled an octave up). It has no 3rd, so it is neither major nor minor, which is exactly why it stays tight and clear under distortion.
🎛️ Get a punchy power-chord tone on YOUR amp — free →Learn the shape once and you can play every power chord — just slide it so the root lands on the right fret. The 5th and octave always sit two frets higher on the next two strings. Roots on the low E (6th) string give you E5–D#5; roots on the A (5th) string give you the higher-pitched versions.
Fret numbers below are computed from where each root note sits on the string (0 = open). "6-5-4" / "5-4-3" are the string sets you fret.
| Chord | 6th-string root shape | 5th-string root shape |
|---|---|---|
| E5 common | fret 0 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 0-2-2 | fret 7 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 7-9-9 |
| F5 common | fret 1 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 1-3-3 | fret 8 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 8-10-10 |
| F#5 | fret 2 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 2-4-4 | fret 9 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 9-11-11 |
| G5 common | fret 3 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 3-5-5 | fret 10 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 10-12-12 |
| G#5 | fret 4 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 4-6-6 | fret 11 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 11-13-13 |
| A5 common | fret 5 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 5-7-7 | fret 0 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 0-2-2 |
| A#5 | fret 6 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 6-8-8 | fret 1 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 1-3-3 |
| B5 common | fret 7 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 7-9-9 | fret 2 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 2-4-4 |
| C5 common | fret 8 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 8-10-10 | fret 3 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 3-5-5 |
| C#5 | fret 9 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 9-11-11 | fret 4 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 4-6-6 |
| D5 common | fret 10 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 10-12-12 | fret 5 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 5-7-7 |
| D#5 | fret 11 (6th string root) strings 6-5-4: 11-13-13 | fret 6 (5th string root) strings 5-4-3: 6-8-8 |
Distortion multiplies a chord's overtones. A major or minor 3rd produces clashing harmonics that turn to mud, but the pure root-and-5th interval of a power chord reinforces cleanly — so the heavier your tone, the better power chords sound. That is why almost every riff from Black Sabbath to modern djent is built on them.
A power chord is just two notes — the root and the perfect 5th above it (often with the root doubled an octave up). Because it has no 3rd, it is neither major nor minor, which is why it sits perfectly under distortion in rock, punk and metal.
They all use the same movable shape. E5 = root on the open low E (fret 0), A5 = 6th-string root at fret 5, G5 = 6th-string root at fret 3. The 5th and octave sit two frets higher on the next two strings (e.g. G5 = frets 3-5-5 on strings 6-5-4).
Distortion adds harmonics and intermodulation. A major or minor 3rd clashes and turns muddy, but the pure root-and-5th of a power chord stays tight and clear — that is why nearly every heavy riff is built from power chords.
Neither. A power chord (written "5", like A5) deliberately leaves out the 3rd, which is the note that decides major vs minor. That ambiguity is why the same power-chord riff works over both major and minor keys.
More: all chords · scales · tunings (drop D powers up your power chords) · amp settings · tuner