Explore the D5 Power Chord on Guitar: Diagrams & Theory

Playing the D5 chord, the D power chord, means sounding D and A together: a root and a perfect fifth. Open strings come into play here, and four of the eleven shapes on this page use one.

The shapes run from fret 2 up to fret 12. Use the chord player at the top of the page to hear each one strummed, and then picked as an arpeggio so the two notes separate. For the notes between chord hits, the D minor pentatonic scale is a natural source, since it contains both D and A.

The D power chord is also written as D5, D(no 3rd) or D(omit 3).

Notes that compose the D 5 chord:

D A

Chord structure of the Powerchord chord:

Formula: 1 5

D 5 Chord Interactive Fretboard

Want a structured chord roadmap instead of jumping between pages?
Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

D 5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the G string
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the D string

Position 2 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the D string
Mute the G string
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the low E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the A string

Position 3 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the G string

Position 4 Open

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Let the D string play without pressing any fret
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the B string

Position 5 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Mute the D string
Mute the G string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the high E string

Position 6 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the G string
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the low E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the A string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the D string

Position 7 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the G string

Position 8 Open

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Let the D string play without pressing any fret
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the B string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the high E string

Position 9 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the D string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the B string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the A string

Position 10 Open

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Let the D string play without pressing any fret
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the G string

Position 11 Open

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Let the A string play without pressing any fret
Let the D string play without pressing any fret
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the B string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 5 | D 5 | E 5 | F 5 | G 5 | A 5 | B 5 | C#5 | D#5 | F#5 | G#5 | A#5 | Ab5 | Bb5 | Db5 | Eb5 | Gb5

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

Which notes make up D5?

D5, the D power chord, has two notes: D and A. A is the perfect fifth of D, seven semitones from the root. There is no third.

Why is D5 neither major nor minor?

Major or minor depends on the third, which is F# in D major and F in D minor. D5 has neither of them, so only D and A sound.

How many ways can D5 be voiced?

D5 has 11 voicings, from fret 2 up to fret 12. Four of them use open strings, and none uses a barre.

Which scale works over D5?

The D Minor Pentatonic Scale (D, F, G, A, C) holds both notes of the chord. The root and fifth are both members of it.