E5 Guitar Chord
A power chord with pure, aggressive tone. E5 is essential for heavy rock and metal.
Also known as
- E 5
- E fifth
- E 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 E5 power chord is the foundation of rock guitar — just the open low E and B at the 2nd fret on the A string. It's the shape that spawned a million riffs. For heavier genres, add the octave E on the D string (2nd fret) and palm-mute for a thick, chunky tone.