The day I discovered I only needed 2 strings, an amp, and a distortion peddle to play some of my favorite songs, I was elated. Learning things like A5 guitar chords, E5, D5, and others kept me motivated to keep learning but satisfied that I could play actual, for real songs.
You may be wondering what a 5 chord is and why I am saying they make playing easier for new guitarists. As I mentioned above, you only need 2 strings for 5 chords, also known as power chords. They are great for new players because they take less effort to form and are much easier to switch between them since they all mostly have the same shape.
But, power chords aren't just for beginners. Because of their ease and no nonsense sound, many established and experienced players utilize them, as well. Just look at every rock, metal, punk, ska, etc guitarist ever in the history of rock, metal, punk, ska, etc guitarists.
Now, 5 chords are not exclusive to heavier genres of music. You will find them in other styles too; like pop, jazz, and blues. Their simplicity makes them accessible to all guitarists since they only need a few notes and 1 or 2 fingers; unlike more complicated chords like B7.
How To Play The A5 Chord

This is the easiest version of the chord and probably the one most of us learn first. All you need is one finger.
You can't find an easier chord to play. You only need 2 strings and 1 finger.
- index finger (1) on the E & A notes of the D & G strings on the 2nd fret
- mute all of the other strings
Variations Of The Chord
This one is not used as often as the one above, but it gives both the A and E notes an extra voicing. It does, however, give your fingers a bit of a stretch.

- index finger (1) on the E & A notes of the D & G strings on the 2nd fret
- play the A string open
- pinky finger (4) on the E note of the B string on the 5th fret
- mute all of the other strings
This next chord is probably ties with the first chord on this list for most often used.

- index finger (1) fretting the A note on the low E string at the 5th fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the E note on the A string at the 7th fret
- mute the remaining strings
Similar to the chord above, we just add in an extra A note.

- index finger (1) fretting the A note on the low E string at the 5th fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the E note on the A string at the 7th fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the A note on the D string at the 7th fret
- mute the remaining strings
The Theory Behind It
As you may know from our other lessons, most chords are built using either a major or minor triad. A triad uses either the I - III - V (1st - 3rd - 5th) or I - vIII - V (1st, flat 3rd, 5th) notes of a key scale. A 5 chord, or power chord, omits the III or bIII and only uses the I and V chords. Since there is no III to denote whether the chord is major or minor, it is generally seen as a major chord but can be used in either place.

For example, to build an A5 guitar chord it would look like this:
- A (I)
- E (V)

Complementary Chords
As we mentioned, many a great punk rock riff was written using power chords. To build a chord progression, you will take the key scale from above, and use the following pattern to determine the proper chords; I - ii - iii - IV - V - vi - vii°.
Note: when a scale degree is lower case (example "iii") that means it is a minor chord. When a note contains the degree symbol (°) that means it is a diminished chord.

For our chord progression today, we will use the I - V - VI - IV progression, or A5 - E5 - F#5* - D5.
*Technically, in the key of A it should be an F#m chord. However, since there is no III (3rd/C# note) to flatten, it is just an F#.
This is how you play that progression:




Try playing this progression at different rhythms and patterns. You will likely start to recognize it from many popular songs. The I - V - VI - IV chord pattern is extremely popular.
A Couple A5 Chord Variations
We have a few more variations for you to try out.

- index finger (1) on the A note of the D string on the 7th fret
- ring finger (3) on the E note on the G string on the 9th fret
- mute the rest of the strings

This is similar to the last chord with a few additional A notes thrown in.
- play the A string open
- index finger (1) on the A note of the D string on the 7th fret
- ring finger (3) on the E note on the G string on the 9th fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the A note on the B string at the 10th fret
- mute both the E strings

- index finger (1) on the A note on the B string on the 10th fret
- ring finger (3) on the E note on high e string on the 12th fret
- mute the rest of the strings

- index finger (1) on the A note on the A string on the 12th fret
- ring finger (3) on the E note on D string on the 14th fret
- mute the rest of the strings

The last chord variation we will learn today is a familiar shape and adds an extra A note to the last chord.
- index finger (1) on the A note on the A string on the 12th fret
- ring finger (3) on the E note on D string on the 14th fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the A note on the G string at the 14th fret
- mute the rest of the strings
Songs That Have The A5 Chord
Not surprisingly, most of this list is rock music. Try and play some of these with your new found chord knowledge.
- Back In Black by AC/DC
- Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day
- When I Come Around by Green Day
- It Hurts Me Too by Elmore James
- I Love Rock & Roll by Joan Jett
- Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz
- Self Esteem by The Offspring
- Just Like A Pill by Pink
- Where Is My Mind by Pixies
- Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones
- Give It All by Rise Against
- Wild Thing by The Troggs
- I Wanna Rock by Twisted Sister
- We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister
Final Word
As you can see, 5 chords are incredibly useful and versatile. Hopefully, adding the A5 guitar chord and the theory knowledge behind it can help you in your playing and songwriting in the future.
See what you come up with the next time you play!
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