Chord · B Power Chord
B5 Chord
B5 is B and F# — two-note dyad; rock and metal staple.
B5 on every instrument
The same 2 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What B5 is made of
B5 (B power) is built from the notes B, F#, with the interval pattern 1, 5.
Stack 1 and 5 on a root of B and you get B 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 F♯ 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.
Major keys
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 B5
- What notes are in the B5 chord?
- B5 is made of B and F# — the 1 and 5 degrees of a power chord built on B.
- What keys use the B5 chord?
- Every note of B5 belongs to 16 keys: G Major (iii), D Major (vi), A Major (ii), E Major (V), B Major (I), F# Major (IV), Gb Major (IV), Cb Major (I), E Minor (v), B Minor (i), F# Minor (iv), C# Minor (VII), G# Minor (III), D# Minor (VI), Eb Minor (VI), Ab Minor (III). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play B5 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows B5 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.
Learn the theory behind it
Why B5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.