My Chord Finder
Power Chord Guitar Chart
Standard tuning E–A–D–G–B–E. Fret codes read from low E to high E: X = do not play, 0 = open. Numbers in the diagrams are fingers; numbers in the table are frets.
| Chord / diagram | Frets · low E → high E | Sounding notes |
|---|
One root, two useful locations
The root-string selector changes where the chord sits, not its name. C5 can begin at fret 8 on the low E string or fret 3 on the A string. Both versions play C3, G3 and C4 with the three-string setting. Other roots can change register: E5 begins at E2 on low E, or E3 on the A string. The note column includes octave numbers so you can compare them directly.
This table chooses the lowest available root between frets 0 and 11 on the selected string. E5 on low E and A5 on the A string therefore use an open root. Those are power chords too. A fretted version twelve positions higher is possible, but this reference does not list every voicing.
What changes when you add the third string?
The added string repeats the root an octave above. It does not supply a major or minor third. For G5 on low E, the two-string form has G2 and D3; the three-string form adds G3. Switch between the options to compare the exact fret pattern, played notes and strings to leave silent.
The 5 in G5 names the fifth interval, not a fret, a finger or a five-note chord. This root-and-fifth construction leaves out the third that would distinguish G major from G minor. It does not preserve every note of a richer chord when used as a substitute.
What the 5 names, which interval is missing, and how wide a real fifth measures are on power chords.
Keep the reference you selected
Copy and TSV contain the twelve roots for the current root string and two- or three-string setting, with actual notes and unused strings. SVG provides the corresponding twelve numbered diagrams on one scalable sheet. The print view keeps the table and the current diagram; use your browser's Save as PDF option for a PDF copy.
For hand placement, pick control and the difference between muting spare strings and palm muting, follow how to play a power chord. This page is the reference to return to when you need another root.
Where these shapes apply
These two families start on strings 6 or 5 in standard tuning, with the fifth two frets higher on the next string. The same shortcut must not be copied blindly across the G-to-B string pair, or onto a guitar in Drop D. Retuning changes the note calculation. In Drop C tuning, the low three strings play a power chord with one finger.
The diagrams show one finger choice, not the only comfortable choice. Check each played string and keep unused strings silent before adding distortion. For general finger-number and X/O reading practice, see guitar chords for beginners.