Guitar chords · Power chord
B5 chord on guitar
B5 (B Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: B and F♯, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
Shapes
How to play B5
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
B5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 2 or the E shape at fret 7. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
A shape · fret 2
E shape · fret 7
Notes and formula
What makes B5 power chord
A Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion. is just the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and the 5th, often with the root doubled an The distance of twelve half steps, where a note comes round to the same name. Twelve frets up a string is an octave. up. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, so it stays clear under heavy distortion: the backbone of rock and punk.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 5th makes B5 a Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion..
- BRroot
- F♯5essential
- B, the root
- Other chord tones
Keys
Keys with B5
B5 belongs to twelve keys: G major (iii5), D major (vi5), A major (ii5), E major (V5), B major (I5), F♯ major (IV5), E minor (v5), B minor (i5), F♯ minor (iv5), C♯ minor (VII5), G♯ minor (III5) and D♯ minor (VI5).
- iii5G major
- vi5D major
- ii5A major
- V5E major
- I5B major
- IV5F♯ major
- v5E minor
- i5B minor
- iv5F♯ minor
- VII5C♯ minor
- III5G♯ minor
- VI5D♯ minor
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Slash chords
B5 over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps B5 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- B5/F♯
B5 with its 5th, F♯, in the bass.
Same root
Other chords on B
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- B major
- Bm minor
- B7 dominant 7th
- Bmaj7 major 7th
- Bm7 minor 7th
- Bsus2 suspended 2nd
- Bsus4 suspended 4th
- B6 major 6th
- Bm6 minor 6th
- Badd9 add 9
- B9 dominant 9th
- Bmaj9 major 9th
- Bm9 minor 9th
- B13 dominant 13th
- Bmaj13 major 13th
- Bm11 minor 11th
- B° diminished
- Bm7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- B°7 diminished 7th
- B+ augmented
- B7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- Bm(maj7) minor major 7th
- B6/9 six-nine
- Bm(add9) minor add 9
- B7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
B5, in short
- What notes are in the B5 chord?
- B5 (B Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: B and F♯, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
- How do you play B5 on guitar?
- B5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 2 or the E shape at fret 7.
- What key is B5 in?
- B5 belongs to twelve keys: G major (iii5), D major (vi5), A major (ii5), E major (V5), B major (I5), F♯ major (IV5), E minor (v5), B minor (i5), F♯ minor (iv5), C♯ minor (VII5), G♯ minor (III5) and D♯ minor (VI5).