Guitar Power Chords: Shapes, Fret Chart and Drop D

Two-note and three-note shapes

Start on the 6th or 5th string. The fifth is two frets higher on the next string; the 3-note shape adds the octave two frets higher on the following string.

6th-string root, 2 notesE5

6th-string root, 3 notesE5

5th-string root, 2 notesA5

5th-string root, 3 notesA5

Power chords in every major key

The six chords of each major key whose fifth is in the key, as 5-chords, with the root fret on the 6th and 5th strings. The vii° chord has a diminished fifth, so its power chord falls outside the key.

Major key	Degree	5-chord	6th string E	5th string A
C major	I	C5	Fret 8	Fret 3
	ii	D5	Fret 10	Fret 5
	iii	E5	Open (0)	Fret 7
	IV	F5	Fret 1	Fret 8
	V	G5	Fret 3	Fret 10
	vi	A5	Fret 5	Open (0)
Db major	I	Db5	Fret 9	Fret 4
	ii	Eb5	Fret 11	Fret 6
	iii	F5	Fret 1	Fret 8
	IV	Gb5	Fret 2	Fret 9
	V	Ab5	Fret 4	Fret 11
	vi	Bb5	Fret 6	Fret 1
D major	I	D5	Fret 10	Fret 5
	ii	E5	Open (0)	Fret 7
	iii	F#5	Fret 2	Fret 9
	IV	G5	Fret 3	Fret 10
	V	A5	Fret 5	Open (0)
	vi	B5	Fret 7	Fret 2
Eb major	I	Eb5	Fret 11	Fret 6
	ii	F5	Fret 1	Fret 8
	iii	G5	Fret 3	Fret 10
	IV	Ab5	Fret 4	Fret 11
	V	Bb5	Fret 6	Fret 1
	vi	C5	Fret 8	Fret 3
E major	I	E5	Open (0)	Fret 7
	ii	F#5	Fret 2	Fret 9
	iii	G#5	Fret 4	Fret 11
	IV	A5	Fret 5	Open (0)
	V	B5	Fret 7	Fret 2
	vi	C#5	Fret 9	Fret 4
F major	I	F5	Fret 1	Fret 8
	ii	G5	Fret 3	Fret 10
	iii	A5	Fret 5	Open (0)
	IV	Bb5	Fret 6	Fret 1
	V	C5	Fret 8	Fret 3
	vi	D5	Fret 10	Fret 5
F# major	I	F#5	Fret 2	Fret 9
	ii	G#5	Fret 4	Fret 11
	iii	A#5	Fret 6	Fret 1
	IV	B5	Fret 7	Fret 2
	V	C#5	Fret 9	Fret 4
	vi	D#5	Fret 11	Fret 6
G major	I	G5	Fret 3	Fret 10
	ii	A5	Fret 5	Open (0)
	iii	B5	Fret 7	Fret 2
	IV	C5	Fret 8	Fret 3
	V	D5	Fret 10	Fret 5
	vi	E5	Open (0)	Fret 7
Ab major	I	Ab5	Fret 4	Fret 11
	ii	Bb5	Fret 6	Fret 1
	iii	C5	Fret 8	Fret 3
	IV	Db5	Fret 9	Fret 4
	V	Eb5	Fret 11	Fret 6
	vi	F5	Fret 1	Fret 8
A major	I	A5	Fret 5	Open (0)
	ii	B5	Fret 7	Fret 2
	iii	C#5	Fret 9	Fret 4
	IV	D5	Fret 10	Fret 5
	V	E5	Open (0)	Fret 7
	vi	F#5	Fret 2	Fret 9
Bb major	I	Bb5	Fret 6	Fret 1
	ii	C5	Fret 8	Fret 3
	iii	D5	Fret 10	Fret 5
	IV	Eb5	Fret 11	Fret 6
	V	F5	Fret 1	Fret 8
	vi	G5	Fret 3	Fret 10
B major	I	B5	Fret 7	Fret 2
	ii	C#5	Fret 9	Fret 4
	iii	D#5	Fret 11	Fret 6
	IV	E5	Open (0)	Fret 7
	V	F#5	Fret 2	Fret 9
	vi	G#5	Fret 4	Fret 11

Power chord fret chart

Both shapes use the same root; “open” means the root string is played at fret 0.

Root	6th-string root	5th-string root
C	Fret 8	Fret 3
C#	Fret 9	Fret 4
D	Fret 10	Fret 5
Eb	Fret 11	Fret 6
E	Open (0)	Fret 7
F	Fret 1	Fret 8
F#	Fret 2	Fret 9
G	Fret 3	Fret 10
Ab	Fret 4	Fret 11
A	Fret 5	Open (0)
Bb	Fret 6	Fret 1
B	Fret 7	Fret 2

Find a movable power-chord fret

Choose a root to see the 2-note and 3-note patterns on the 6th and 5th strings.

Root note

E5

6th string E, root at Open (0): 2-note 02xxxx; 3-note 022xxx
5th string A, root at Fret 7: 2-note x79xxx; 3-note x799xx

Drop D and standard tuning compared

In Drop D, the lowest three open strings are D–A–D. At fret 2 they sound E–B–E, an E5 power chord.

For E5, the standard 3-note pattern is 022xxx; the Drop D pattern is 222xxx.

The played strings sound E · B · E in standard tuning and E · B · E in Drop D.

E5 · standard tuning022xxx

E5 · Drop D · one finger on strings 6, 5 and 4222xxx

String	Standard fret	Standard note	Drop D fret	Drop D note
6 (E)	Open (0)	E	Fret 2	E
5 (A)	Fret 2	B	Fret 2	B
4 (D)	Fret 2	E	Fret 2	E
3 (G)	Muted	x	Muted	x
2 (B)	Muted	x	Muted	x
1 (E)	Muted	x	Muted	x

Guitar power chords

Two-note and three-note shapes

Power chords in every major key

Power chord fret chart

Find a movable power-chord fret

C5

C#5

D5

Eb5

E5

F5

F#5

G5

Ab5

A5

Bb5

B5

Drop D and standard tuning compared