B♭5 (B♭5)

Also called A♯5 (A♯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 1st fret. With no third, B♭5 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|--3--|
D|--3--|
A|--1--|
E|--x--|

Other positions

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

Capo tip: put the capo at the 1st fret and play the A5 shape: you hear B♭5, with no barre.The capo

Often played with

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

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

E♭5IV

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--3--|
A|--3--|
E|--1--|

F5V

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

A♭5♭VII