A♭5 (A♭5)

Also called G♯5 (G♯5).

A power chord: just the root and the fifth, no third. Neither major nor minor, it sounds huge with distortion and slides around the neck as one block.

It’s played as a movable shape, starting at the 4th fret. With no third, A♭5 can stand in for A♭ major or G♯ minor, especially in rock.

Notes:: A♭, E♭.
Formula:: 1, 5.
Difficulty:: Intermediate.
Strings played:: 3 (low E, A, D).

Chord diagram

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--6--|
A|--6--|
E|--4--|

Other positions

e|--x---|
B|--x---|
G|--13--|
D|--13--|
A|--11--|
E|--x---|

Capo tip: put the capo at the 4th fret and play the E5 shape: you hear A♭5, with no barre.The capo

Often played with

The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around A♭5.

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--6--|
D|--6--|
A|--4--|
E|--x--|

D♭5IV

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--8--|
D|--8--|
A|--6--|
E|--x--|

E♭5V

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--4--|
A|--4--|
E|--2--|

F♯5♭VII