E 5th
E5
Notes
E · B
Intervals
- RootE (1P)
- Perfect 5thB (5P)
Fretboard
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Voicings & shapes
Power chords (4)
About
The E5 power chord consists of root and fifth only (E–B), often with the root doubled an octave higher. By omitting the third entirely, it carries no major or minor identity — its tonality is implied by context and melody, not by the chord itself. This neutrality is an asset under heavy distortion, where thirds create harsh intermodulation artifacts. The fifth (B) is the only harmonic color present, so it must be played; doubling the root adds weight but no new harmonic information. On guitar, the shape is the same across all string pairs (except those involving the B string), making it easy to move. Compared to full triads like E or Em, power chords sacrifice color for focus and aggression.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- E Blues (deg 1)
- E Dorian (I)
- E Harmonic Minor (I)
- E Lydian (I)
- E Major (I)
- E Major Pentatonic (deg 1)
- E Melodic Minor (I)
- E Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- E Mixolydian (I)
- E Natural Minor (I)
- E Phrygian (I)
- A Dorian (V)
- A Harmonic Minor (V)
- A Lydian (V)
- A Major (V)
- A Major Pentatonic (deg 4)
- A Melodic Minor (V)
- A Mixolydian (V)
- A Natural Minor (V)
- A♭ Diminished (deg 6)
- A♭ Harmonic Minor (VI)
- A♭ Locrian (VI)
- A♭ Natural Minor (VI)
- A♭ Phrygian (VI)
- B Blues (deg 3)
- B Diminished (deg 4)
- B Dorian (IV)
- B Harmonic Minor (IV)
- B Locrian (IV)
- B Major (IV)
- B Melodic Minor (IV)
- B Minor Pentatonic (deg 3)
- B Mixolydian (IV)
- B Natural Minor (IV)
- B Phrygian (IV)
- B♭ Locrian (V)
- C Lydian (III)
- C Major (III)
- D Diminished (deg 2)
- D Dorian (II)
- D Lydian (II)
- D Major (II)
- D Major Pentatonic (deg 2)
- D Melodic Minor (II)
- D Mixolydian (II)
- D♭ Blues (deg 2)
- D♭ Dorian (III)
- D♭ Locrian (III)
- D♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 2)
- D♭ Natural Minor (III)
- D♭ Phrygian (III)
- E♭ Locrian (II)
- E♭ Phrygian (II)
- F Diminished (deg 8)
- F Lydian (VII)
- F♯ Blues (deg 6)
- F♯ Dorian (VII)
- F♯ Locrian (VII)
- F♯ Minor Pentatonic (deg 5)
- F♯ Mixolydian (VII)
- F♯ Natural Minor (VII)
- F♯ Phrygian (VII)
- G Lydian (VI)
- G Major (VI)
- G Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- G Mixolydian (VI)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.