G#5 or A♭5 Power Chord
4th Fret · E-String RootThe standard G#5: index on the low E string at fret 4 (G#), then flatten your ring finger across the A and D strings at fret 6 (D#, then G# an octave up). Mute the top three strings.
G#5 or A♭5 Power Chord
Two-Note DyadG# and D# only — root and 5th, no octave. The leanest form, and the one that holds its shape through heavy distortion.
G#5 or A♭5 Power Chord
11th Fret · A-String RootThe same shape on the A string, rooted on G# at fret 11. Bright and focused — the version to reach for high up the neck.
Often written A♭5
Flat keys spell this chord A♭5. It is the same two notes in the same place — only the name follows the key.
Two fingers instead of a barre
G# major is a barre chord wherever you play it. G#5 needs two fingers on adjacent strings and nothing else.
Neither major nor minor
G#5 leaves out the B# of G# major and the B of G# minor, so it fits comfortably over either.
Find the root
G# is fret 4 on the low E and fret 11 on the A string. Learn those two spots and both shapes follow.
Silence what you skip
Rest unused fingers lightly across the higher strings so a broad strum still comes out as a clean power chord.
About the G#5 Power Chord on Guitar
The G#5 power chord is built from two notes: G# (the root) and D# (the perfect 5th). It has no 3rd, so it is neither major nor minor — it simply asserts the root and its 5th, which is what keeps it clear and stable under distortion where a full triad would blur. G#5 is enharmonically identical to A♭5, and flat keys will spell it that way; the pitch and the shapes are the same either way. It is also the easy route into a key with no open-string chords: G# major requires a barre in any position, while G#5 asks for two fingers on adjacent strings. This page covers three voicings, all fully moveable. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 G#5 or A♭5 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# or A♭ 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.