A5 Chord on Guitar

1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.

A5 is a power chord chord made of 2 notes: A, E. It sounds strong and neutral, with no third to make it major or minor, and you hear it in rock, punk and metal, especially with distortion. It is the I chord of A major and turns up in 5 other keys.

The library above opens on A5 with 14 shapes up and down the neck, starting with hand-checked ones. Tap a shape to hear it, or play it one string at a time.

Notes in A5

Note	Degree	Interval from A	Semitones
A	1	root	0
E	5	perfect fifth	7

Formula: 1 – 5. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord.

How to play A5

Open positionBeginnerx022xx

Fret 5Beginner577xxx

Fret 7Beginnerxx79xx

Fret 10Beginnerxxxx(10)(12)

Fret 12Beginnerx(12)(14)xxx

Open positionEasyxxx2x0

Open position (root on the 5th string), step by step

1st finger (index): 4th string, 2nd fret (E, the fifth).
2nd finger (middle): 3rd string, 2nd fret (A, the root).
Let the 5th string ring open (A).
Strum from the 5th string, and keep the 6th string and 2nd string and 1st string quiet (touch the muted string lightly with the finger next to it).

Tips

The open position shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 5th fret (577xxx): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.

Keys and progressions with A5

A5 belongs to 6 keys: V in D major, IV in E major, I in A major, VI in C♯ minor, III in F♯ minor, VII in B minor. In A major, try I–V–vi–IV: A5 – E – F♯m – D.