Chord & FretB5 — power chord
Notes in B5: B – F#Formula: 1 – 5In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.
The power chord has only the root and the fifth, with no third. Without the third it is neither major nor minor — a neutral, strong sound that takes distortion well.
The same chord on all four instruments
Where to use it: Rock, riffs and textures where the third would get in the way of the low-end weight.
The shapes of B5 don't end on this page — the whole neck holds dozens. In Chord & Fret, you check it note by note, playing any shape as an arpeggio; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and set a capo — the diagrams redraw above it. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.
See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →Part of the Triads family.