D5 Guitar Chord
D Power Chord · D–A
D5 is the D power chord chord: D–A. Its sound is raw and powerful — no 3rd means no major or minor quality, just root and fifth driven through an amp.
Because a power chord has no 3rd, D5 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 D5, you know all twelve power chords.
The easiest way to play D5 is the open-position shape (x x 0 2 3 x, low E string to high E string), which uses open strings and stays in the first few frets. Below you'll find 4 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 D5: 4 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
D5 Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Note | D | A |
D5 is built from the D major scale.
D5 Chord FAQ
What notes are in the D5 chord?
D5 contains 2 notes: D (R), A (5). The interval formula for a power chord chord is R–5.
What is the easiest way to play D5 on guitar?
Use the open-position shape: x x 0 2 3 x (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). It uses open strings, so it needs the least finger strength.
Is D5 a major or minor chord?
Neither — D5 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.
What keys use the D5 chord?
D5 appears diatonically in D major (as I), A major (as IV), and G major (as V) — plus B minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
Hear yourself play D5
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