E Power Chord Chord
Root and fifth - classic rock sound
E5 is playable as an open chord near the nut (Open E5), making it one of the more beginner-friendly shapes. It's one of 3 voicings mapped across the neck.
E5 · Open E5
What is a E5 chord?
A power chord is just the root and the perfect 5th — no third. With no major or minor third, the chord is gender-neutral (works against either tonality) and free of harmonic clash, which is why it's the only chord shape that survives heavy distortion without turning to mud. The interval between root and 5th is a perfect consonance, mathematically the most stable interval after the octave.
Notes in the chord: E – B
Intervals: Root, 5 (measured from the root)
Where E5 fits in a key
E5 appears as the I in E major.
Common progressions with E5
I5-IV5-V5 (rock) — in E (key-neutral)
E5 → A5 → B5
i5-VI5-VII5 (metal) — in E minor (key-neutral)
E5 → C5 → D5
When to use a power chord chord
E5 is the key-neutral power-chord root for riffs centred on E. Use power chords as the rhythm-section foundation of any rock, punk, metal or grunge song. Because they have no third, you can move a single shape through any key without thinking about major/minor — that's why entire songs (Smells Like Teen Spirit, Iron Man, You Really Got Me) are built on power chord shapes alone. They're also useful in funk and pop when you want a riff to read as harmonically neutral.
Common substitutions for E5
- •Full barre chord — when the song wants explicit major/minor coloring
- •Octave doubled (root + 5 + octave) — fatter, more resonant power chord
- •Drop-D power chord — uses the open low D string for a heavier root
Improvisation Basics
Learn to solo over progressions
Practice with Improvisio
Use E5 in a progression and see which scales work best.
Try it in the trainer