G5 Power Chord
3rd Fret · E-String RootThe standard G5: index on the low E string at fret 3 (G), then flatten your ring finger across the A and D strings at fret 5 (D, then G an octave up). Mute the top three strings.
G5 Power Chord
Two-Note DyadG and D only — the bare root and 5th. Two fingers, and the version that stays tightest when the riff is fast and the gain is high.
G5 Power Chord
10th Fret · A-String RootThe same shape on the A string, rooted on G at fret 10. Brighter than the third-fret form and closer to hand if the riff already lives up the neck.
Two notes, three strings
G5 is G and D. The third string in the shape is just the G repeated an octave up — leave it out and nothing changes harmonically.
Neither major nor minor
G5 has no B and no B♭, so it belongs to neither G major nor G minor and works comfortably in both.
The classic rock root
Fret 3 on the low E is one of the most-used power chord positions on the guitar. G5, F5 at fret 1, and A5 at fret 5 cover a huge amount of rock rhythm playing.
Mute above the shape
Let your barring ring finger lie flat enough to touch the G, B, and high e. Clean power chords depend on what you silence.
Slide, do not relearn
The 3-5-5 shape is G5 at fret 3, A5 at fret 5, and C5 at fret 8. One fingering, twelve chords.
About the G5 Power Chord on Guitar
The G5 power chord is built from two notes: G (the root) and D (the perfect 5th). The 3rd is left out on purpose, so G5 is neither major nor minor and slots into a progression in either key without friction. Rooted on the low E string at fret 3, it sits in one of the most heavily used positions on the guitar — the same shape at fret 1 is F5 and at fret 5 is A5, which between them cover an enormous amount of rock rhythm playing. The three-string version adds the octave for thickness; the two-note version strips it back for definition under distortion. This page covers three voicings, all fully moveable. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 G5 power chord shapes from beginner to intermediate
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04E-string root, two-note dyad, and A-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 G 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.