Related Chords
Explore chords that share the same key as the A Fifth chord.
The A fifth chord, widely recognized as the A power chord (A5), is one of the most essential chords in rock and heavy music. Power chords like A5 consist of just two notes—the root (A) and the perfect fifth—deliberately leaving out the third to create a neutral, ambiguous tonality. This unique construction produces a thick, powerful sound that cuts through distorted guitar tones and works seamlessly in both major and minor contexts. The A power chord has been a staple in metal, punk, and hard rock for decades, prized for its simplicity and sonic impact. Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" immortalized the A5 chord as the foundation of grunge, with Kurt Cobain using it in the verse progression (A5-B♭5-G5-F5) through a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal into a Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp, creating the definitive early-90s alternative rock tone. The open A5 (open A and E strings) served as a drone in Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," demonstrating how power chords function not just as rhythmic devices but as harmonic centers for extended improvisational passages. In recording contexts, double-tracking A5 power chords with slight timing differences (10-20 milliseconds) creates the massive wall-of-sound effect pioneered by Mutt Lange on Def Leppard's "Pyromania" album, now standard practice in modern rock production alongside D5 and E5.
Explore chords that share the same key as the A Fifth chord.