Chords › A♭5
A Flat Power Chord Power Chord on Guitar
- A♭5
- A♭ · E♭
- From fret 1
- Also written G♯5
Movable
A♭5 is a power chord: just the root and the fifth, with no third, so it is neither major nor minor and stays clear under distortion. A♭5 has no open shape, so it is usually played as a 3-string shape near the nut.
How to play A♭5, finger by finger
- Put your index finger on string 3 at the 1st fret.
- Put your ring finger on string 2 at the 4th fret.
- Put your pinky finger on string 1 at the 4th fret.
- Strum from string 3 down to string 1, and don't play strings 6, 5 and 4.
More ways to play A♭5
Notes in A♭5
| Note | Interval | Role |
|---|---|---|
| A♭ | 1 | root |
| E♭ | 5 | fifth |
Formula: 1 – 5
Questions about A♭5
What notes are in A♭5?
A♭ and E♭. Those are the 1, 5 of the chord, counted from A♭.
Which strings do I strum for A♭5?
Start on string 3 and strum down to string 1.
Is A♭5 the same as G♯5?
Yes, on guitar they are played the same way and sound the same. A flat and G sharp are two names for one note: songs in sharp keys write G♯, songs in flat keys write A♭.
Is A♭5 major or minor?
Neither. A power chord has only the root and the fifth (A♭ and E♭), so it fits songs in A♭ major and A♭ minor alike. It is the standard chord for rock and metal rhythm guitar.
Related chords
Often played with A♭5
Other power chords