E5
Power Chords Chart
Eight power chords, and the two movable shapes that give you all the rest.
A5
D5
F5
G5
B5
C5
D5 (5th fret)
Printable version
How to use this chart
A power chord is two notes: the root and the fifth, usually with the root doubled an octave up. It is neither major nor minor, which is exactly why it works under distortion where a full chord turns to mud.
There are really only two shapes here. One is rooted on the sixth string, one on the fifth, and both slide anywhere on the neck. Learn F5 at the first fret and you have every chord with a root on the low E string; learn B5 at the second and you have the rest. The open E5, A5 and D5 are the same idea with an open string doing the work.
The hand that matters is the other one. Power chords live and die on muting: let the strings you are not playing ring and the whole thing collapses. Rest the side of your strumming hand lightly on the bridge and keep the unused strings damped with the fretting hand.
Teaching from this chart? Everything here is free to copy for a class, and the page for teachers covers what to print, what you are allowed to do with it and how to link to it.
1 Two fingers firstIndex on the root, ring finger two frets up on the next string. That is the whole shape.
2 Add the octaveThe little finger doubles the root one string higher. It makes the chord thicker, not different.
3 Move itSlide the shape and read the root off the fret. Two shapes cover the neck.
Other printable sheets
Guitar Chord Chart 12 essential guitar chords. Print the full chart or save it for later. View chart → Beginner Chord Chart Eight easy open chords, in the order they are worth learning. No barre shapes. View chart → Blank Chord Chart Empty diagrams to fill in by hand, 6, 12 or 24 to a page. View sheet → Printable Chord Chart Every sheet on the site as a PDF, ready for A4 or US Letter. View sheet → Pentatonic Scale Chart The five box shapes in any key, with the frets you actually play. View sheet → Guitar Scales Chart Five scales across the whole neck, roots marked, in any key. View sheet →
Frequently asked questions
What is a power chord?
Two notes: the root and the fifth above it, often with the root doubled an octave higher. It has no third, so it is neither major nor minor, and that is why the same shape fits over both.
Why are power chords written with a 5?
The 5 says the chord contains the root and the fifth and nothing else. E5 is E and B; A5 is A and E. It is a description of the notes rather than a chord quality.
How many power chord shapes do I need?
Two. One rooted on the sixth string and one on the fifth. Both are movable, so between them they cover every power chord on the neck; the open shapes are a convenience, not a separate thing to learn.
Do I strum all the strings?
No, and this is the part that takes practice. Only the two or three strings in the shape should sound. Mute the rest with the side of the fretting hand and keep the strum tight.