Guitar chords · Power chord
C5 chord on guitar
C5 (C Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: C and G, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
Shapes
How to play C5
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
C5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 3 or the E shape at fret 8. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
A shape · fret 3
E shape · fret 8
Notes and formula
What makes C5 power chord
A Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion. is just the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and the 5th, often with the root doubled an The distance of twelve half steps, where a note comes round to the same name. Twelve frets up a string is an octave. up. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, so it stays clear under heavy distortion: the backbone of rock and punk.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 5th makes C5 a Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion..
- CRroot
- G5essential
- C, the root
- Other chord tones
Keys
Keys with C5
C5 belongs to twelve keys: C major (I5), G major (IV5), A♭ major (iii5), E♭ major (vi5), B♭ major (ii5), F major (V5), A minor (III5), E minor (VI5), F minor (v5), C minor (i5), G minor (iv5) and D minor (VII5).
- I5C major
- IV5G major
- iii5A♭ major
- vi5E♭ major
- ii5B♭ major
- V5F major
- III5A minor
- VI5E minor
- v5F minor
- i5C minor
- iv5G minor
- VII5D minor
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Slash chords
C5 over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps C5 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- C5/G
C5 with its 5th, G, in the bass.
Same root
Other chords on C
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- C major
- Cm minor
- C7 dominant 7th
- Cmaj7 major 7th
- Cm7 minor 7th
- Csus2 suspended 2nd
- Csus4 suspended 4th
- C6 major 6th
- Cm6 minor 6th
- Cadd9 add 9
- C9 dominant 9th
- Cmaj9 major 9th
- Cm9 minor 9th
- C13 dominant 13th
- Cmaj13 major 13th
- Cm11 minor 11th
- C° diminished
- Cm7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- C°7 diminished 7th
- C+ augmented
- C7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- Cm(maj7) minor major 7th
- C6/9 six-nine
- Cm(add9) minor add 9
- C7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
C5, in short
- What notes are in the C5 chord?
- C5 (C Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: C and G, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
- How do you play C5 on guitar?
- C5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 3 or the E shape at fret 8.
- What key is C5 in?
- C5 belongs to twelve keys: C major (I5), G major (IV5), A♭ major (iii5), E♭ major (vi5), B♭ major (ii5), F major (V5), A minor (III5), E minor (VI5), F minor (v5), C minor (i5), G minor (iv5) and D minor (VII5).