Ab5 Guitar Chord
Ab Power Chord · also written G#5 · Ab–Eb
Ab5 is the Ab power chord chord: Ab–Eb. Its sound is raw and powerful — no 3rd means no major or minor quality, just root and fifth driven through an amp. It's also written as G#5 — same notes, same shapes, different spelling.
Because a power chord has no 3rd, Ab5 is neither major nor minor — it fits over both. Play it with palm muting and distortion and it becomes the engine of punk, hard rock, and metal rhythm playing. The two-finger shape moves anywhere on the neck, so once you know Ab5, you know all twelve power chords.
The most common way to play Ab5 is the e-string power chord at the 4th fret (4 6 6 x x x, low E string to high E string). Below you'll find 3 ways to play it across the neck, from open position to barre and shell voicings, with the theory behind the chord and the progressions it lives in.
How to Play Ab5: 3 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
Ab5 Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Note | Ab | Eb |
Ab5 is built from the Ab major scale.
Ab5 Chord FAQ
What notes are in the Ab5 chord?
Ab5 contains 2 notes: Ab (R), Eb (5). The interval formula for a power chord chord is R–5.
What is the easiest way to play Ab5 on guitar?
Use the e-string power chord at the 4th fret: 4 6 6 x x x (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). Ab5 has no open-position shape in standard tuning, so this movable form is the standard starting point.
Is Ab5 a major or minor chord?
Neither — Ab5 has no 3rd, the note that decides major versus minor. That ambiguity is exactly why it's useful: it fits over both major and minor harmony.
Is Ab5 the same as G#5?
Yes. Ab and G# are enharmonic equivalents — the same pitch written two ways. Ab5 and G#5 use identical shapes and frets; which spelling you see depends on the key of the song.
What keys use the Ab5 chord?
Ab5 appears diatonically in Ab major (as I), Eb major (as IV), and Db major (as V) — plus F minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
Hear yourself play Ab5
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