The E fifth chord, commonly called the E power chord, is one of the most frequently used chords in rock and metal music. This two-note chord contains only the root (E) and perfect fifth (B), deliberately omitting the third to create a neutral, ambiguous sound that works over both major and minor progressions. Power chords gained prominence in heavy music because their stripped-down structure produces a thick, clear tone even with extreme distortion—a quality that made them indispensable in punk, grunge, and metal. The E power chord's position on guitar makes it particularly resonant and powerful, contributing to its widespread use in iconic rock riffs. The open E5 power chord (using the open 6th string E and the 2nd fret of the 5th string for B) appears in countless classic recordings including AC/DC's "Back in Black," where Angus and Malcolm Young demonstrated how tight rhythmic unity and specific Marshall Plexi and Super Lead settings could transform simple power chords into arena-rock anthems. Link Wray's experimental technique of punching holes in his amplifier speaker to achieve power chord distortion in the late 1950s directly influenced the development of purpose-built distortion circuits in pedals like the ProCo RAT (1978). In dropped tunings (Drop D, Drop C, Drop B), E5 shifts to different frets but maintains its sonic signature—Metallica's "Enter Sandman" famously uses E5 in standard tuning in open position with aggressive downstroke palm muting at 124 BPM alongside G5, A5, and B5 in classic metal progressions.
Scale degrees of each note in the E Fifth chord.
| Note | Number | Name |
|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | Tonic |
| B | 5 | Dominant |
Intervals from the root note of the E Fifth chord.
| Notes | Semitones | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| E → E | 0 | Perfect Unison (P1) |
| E → B | 7 | Perfect 5th (P5) |
Explore chords that share the same key as the E Fifth chord.