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Chord · Bb Power Chord

B5 Chord

B5 is Bb and Ftwo-note dyad; rock and metal staple.

Hear it

B5 on every instrument

The same 2 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

×××134EADGBE
Guitar3 voicings
CDEFGAB
Piano2 voicings
××13GCEA
Ukulele2 voicings
×6fr134EADG
Bass2 voicings
××12GDAE
Mandolin2 voicings
××111GDGBD
Banjo1 voicing

What B5 is made of

Bb Power Chord (Bb power chord) is built from the notes Bb, F, with the interval pattern 1, 5. A common power chord chord across many styles.

Stack 1 and 5 on a root of B and you get Bb and F. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a power chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C5 sounds like a transposed B5.

Power Chord: Two-note dyad; rock and metal staple.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with B rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain B5

All 2 notes sit inside the scale of 16 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Other chords on B

Same root, different colour.

The same power shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

Questions people ask about Bb5

What notes are in the Bb5 chord?
Bb5 is made of Bb and F — the 1 and 5 degrees of a power chord built on Bb.
What keys use the Bb5 chord?
Every note of Bb5 belongs to 16 keys: F Major (IV), Bb Major (I), Eb Major (V), Ab Major (ii), Db Major (vi), F# Major (iii), Gb Major (iii), C# Major (vi), D Minor (VI), G Minor (III), C Minor (VII), F Minor (iv), Bb Minor (i), D# Minor (v), Eb Minor (v), A# Minor (i). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play Bb5 on guitar and piano?
This page shows Bb5 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 12 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Is Bb5 the same as A#5?
Yes. Bb5 and A#5 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Bb5 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why B5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Barre Chords — The Wall Every Guitarist ClimbsThis one asks for a barre. The article is the fix for the buzzing and the aching hand.7 min readIntervals — The Only Music Theory You Actually NeedRoot and fifth, no third — which is why a power chord is neither major nor minor.5 min readThe 12-Bar Blues — Three Chords, A Century of HitsPower chords live inside the blues form. Twelve bars, three chords, endlessly reusable.7 min read