If you’ve ever heard a rock n roll song (and who hasn’t?), you’ve heard a power chord like C5 before.
They’re punchy and, best of all, they’re easy to play! Learning power chords will unlock many new songs for you so let’s dive in…
Playing the C5 Chord
Your 1st (index) finger will need to be on the 5th string of the 3rd fret. And then place your 3rd (ring) finger on the 4th string of the 5th fret. No need to use your 2nd (middle) finger for C5.
Strum only the 4th and 5th strings. It may help to mute the 6th string with your thumb to make sure it doesn’t ring out with the rest – just gently rest it on that thickest string so it stays nice and quiet.
Try the C power chord for yourself with this handy diagram:
Songs With C5 Chord
Now that you’ve learned the C power chord, you’re ready to rock many new songs! Here are just some:
- “Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood
- “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King
- “Enter Sandman” by Metallica
What are Power Chords?
Power chords are guitar chords played with just two notes, the root and the 5th. The 3rd is left out of power chords, and because of this the power chord has neither a major nor a minor sound.
Power chords are quite easy to learn – once you know one, you pretty much know them all! That’s because the shape is always the same, you just move it around the fretboard. In addition to the C5 you learned here, there are also G5, D5, and A5.
