About the C5 chord
A power chord is just the root and the fifth, with no third, so it is neither major nor minor. It is the backbone of rock and punk rhythm guitar and sounds huge with distortion. The symbol for it is C5.
How to play C5
- Put your index finger on the A string at fret 3.
- Put your middle finger on the D string at fret 5.
- Put your ring finger on the G string at fret 5.
- Strum and don't play the low E and B and high E strings.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of C major
These are the chords built on each note of the C major scale, so they all sound good together with C5. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other C chords
C5 chord questions
What notes are in a C5 chord?
C5 is made of C and G. In intervals that is 1, 5 above the root, C.
What is the easiest way to play C5?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 3 5 5 x x from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is C5 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.