C#5 or D♭5 Power Chord
4th Fret · A-String RootThe go-to C#5: index on the A string at fret 4 (C#), then flatten your ring finger across the D and G strings at fret 6 (G#, then C# an octave up). Mute the low E and everything above.
C#5 or D♭5 Power Chord
Two-Note DyadC# and G# only — root and 5th, nothing else. Two fingers, and the tightest version of the chord under heavy gain.
C#5 or D♭5 Power Chord
9th Fret · E-String RootThe same shape on the low E string, rooted on C# at fret 9. A heavier, darker version of the same two notes an octave lower.
Spell it as D♭5 in flat keys
Written music often calls this D♭5. The shape and the sound are identical — only the name changes with the key signature.
No barre needed
C# major demands a barre. C#5 needs two fingers on adjacent strings, which is why power chords are the shortcut into sharp keys.
Neither major nor minor
C#5 has no 3rd, so it sits over C# major and C# minor alike without ever sounding wrong.
Count from the open string
Fret 4 on the A string is C#. Fret 9 on the low E is the same note an octave down — that is how the two shapes relate.
Mute with the index
Let the tip of your index rest against the low E on the A-string shape so an accidental strum stays quiet.
About the C#5 Power Chord on Guitar
The C#5 power chord is built from two notes: C# (the root) and G# (the perfect 5th). Because it drops the 3rd entirely, it is neither major nor minor — it simply states the root and its 5th, which is exactly what makes it useful in rock and metal, where riffs move fast and distortion punishes anything more crowded. C#5 is enharmonically identical to D♭5: same pitch, same shapes, different spelling depending on the key. It is also the easy way into a key that otherwise demands barre chords, since none of C# major shapes fall under two fingers. This page covers three voicings, all fully moveable. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 C#5 or D♭5 power chord shapes from beginner to intermediate
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04A-string root, two-note dyad, and E-string root voicings
- 05Every shape is fully moveable to all 12 roots
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 2 notes that form the C# or D♭ Power chord and their role in the major scale.
Every power chord follows this same formula — root and perfect fifth, with no 3rd. Two notes, so it is neither major nor minor.