B5 (B5)

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 2nd fret. With no third, B5 can stand in for B major or B minor, especially in rock.

Notes:: B, F♯.
Formula:: 1, 5.
Difficulty:: Intermediate.
Strings played:: 3 (A, D, G).

Chord diagram

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

Other positions

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--9--|
A|--9--|
E|--7--|

Capo tip: put the capo at the 2nd fret and play the A5 shape: you hear B5, with no barre.The capo

Often played with

The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around B5.

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--2--|
A|--2--|
E|--0--|

E5IV

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

F♯5V

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--2--|
D|--2--|
A|--0--|
E|--x--|

A5♭VII