E5 Chord on Guitar

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

E5 is a power chord chord made of 2 notes: E, B. 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 E major and turns up in 5 other keys.

The library above opens on E5 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 E5

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

Formula: 1 – 5.

How to play E5

Open positionBeginner022xxx

Fret 7Beginnerx799xx

Open positionBeginnerxx240x

Open positionBeginner022400

Fret 5Beginnerxxxx57

Fret 12Beginner(12)(14)xxxx

Open position (root on the 6th string), step by step

1st finger (index): 5th string, 2nd fret (B, the fifth).
2nd finger (middle): 4th string, 2nd fret (E, the root).
Let the 6th string ring open (E).
Strum from the 6th string, and keep the 3rd 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 7th fret (x799xx): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.

Keys and progressions with E5

E5 belongs to 6 keys: I in E major, V in A major, IV in B major, III in C♯ minor, VII in F♯ minor, VI in G♯ minor. In E major, try I–V–vi–IV: E5 – B – C♯m – A.