Bb5 Guitar Chord
Bb Power Chord · also written A#5 · Bb–F
Bb5 is the Bb power chord chord: Bb–F. 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 A#5 — same notes, same shapes, different spelling.
Because a power chord has no 3rd, Bb5 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 Bb5, you know all twelve power chords.
The most common way to play Bb5 is the e-string power chord at the 6th fret (6 8 8 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 Bb5: 3 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
Bb5 Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Note | Bb | F |
Bb5 is built from the Bb major scale.
Bb5 Chord FAQ
What notes are in the Bb5 chord?
Bb5 contains 2 notes: Bb (R), F (5). The interval formula for a power chord chord is R–5.
What is the easiest way to play Bb5 on guitar?
Use the e-string power chord at the 6th fret: 6 8 8 x x x (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). Bb5 has no open-position shape in standard tuning, so this movable form is the standard starting point.
Is Bb5 a major or minor chord?
Neither — Bb5 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 Bb5 the same as A#5?
Yes. Bb and A# are enharmonic equivalents — the same pitch written two ways. Bb5 and A#5 use identical shapes and frets; which spelling you see depends on the key of the song.
What keys use the Bb5 chord?
Bb5 appears diatonically in Bb major (as I), F major (as IV), and Eb major (as V) — plus G minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
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