A Power Chord Guitar Chord
All positions and voicings on the fretboard
No playable voicings found for this chord. Try a different chord type or root note.
A Power Chord filtered by fret:
A Power Chord — chord details
The A Power Chord chord is made up of the following notes: A, E.
Intervals: 1P, 5P.
The diagrams above show every voicing and chord variation for A Power Chord on guitar. Use the fret filter to narrow down voicings within a specific fret range — ideal for finding close-proximity chords when composing or arranging.
A Power Chord is built from just the root and the perfect fifth, omitting the third entirely. This two-note structure — A, E with intervals 1P, 5P — is neither major nor minor, giving it a raw, ambiguous power. Its open, hollow sound became the backbone of punk, grunge, and heavy metal, where distortion turns this simple interval into a massive wall of sound. Power chords thrive on aggression and simplicity.
How to Play A Power Chord
On guitar, A 5 typically requires a barre or partial barre voicing. Experiment with different positions to find the voicing that best suits your playing context — higher positions sound brighter and tighter, while lower positions offer more bass and resonance. CAGED system shapes help navigate these options efficiently.
A Power Chord in Progressions
A 5 appears in various harmonic contexts depending on the key. Analyze the surrounding chords to determine its function — it may serve as a primary chord, a substitution, or a chromatic color chord that enriches the harmonic palette of a progression.
Common Substitutions
A major, A minor, or Asus4 all expand on the power chord's neutral foundation.
Difficulty: Power chords are beginner-friendly on guitar — just two or three strings and a movable shape you can slide anywhere.