Six Strings
In this section: Chords

G5 (G5)

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 3rd fret. With no third, G5 can stand in for G major or G minor, especially in rock.

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

Chord diagram

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--5--|
A|--5--|
E|--3--|

Other positions

e|--x---|
B|--x---|
G|--12--|
D|--12--|
A|--10--|
E|--x---|

Capo tip: put the capo at the 3rd fret and play the E5 shape: you hear G5, with no barre.The capo

Often played with

The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around G5.

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--5--|
D|--5--|
A|--3--|
E|--x--|

C5IV

e|--x--|
B|--3--|
G|--2--|
D|--0--|
A|--x--|
E|--x--|

D5V

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

F5♭VII