12345 × ×× 12 EADGBe
Beginner

A5 Guitar Chord

A power chord. A5 is powerful and heavy.

Also known as

  • A 5
  • A fifth
  • A power chord

How to Play This Chord

Position your fingers on the fretboard as shown in the diagram. The vertical lines represent the strings, from low E (left) to high E (right), and the horizontal lines are the frets. Numbers inside the dots indicate which finger to use: 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), 4 (pinky). An X means don't play that string; an O means play it open. A bar spanning multiple strings means one finger presses across all of them at once — this is known as a barre chord.

Tips & Tricks

The open A5 uses just the open A string and E on the D string (2nd fret). It's one of the simplest power chords and the foundation of the movable A-string power chord shape. Add the octave A at the 2nd fret of the G string for a fuller sound.

There are many ways to play this chord. Try these:

eBGDAE 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2
eBGDAE 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2
eBGDAE 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2

See how A5 works with other chords — Progression Generator