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E♯5 Chord

The E♯5 chord is a power chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯ and B♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as F5.

Power chords have no third at all, only a root and a fifth, so they are neither major nor minor. That emptiness is the point: run one through a distorted amp and it stays clean and thick where a full triad would turn to mud.

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E♯5 on piano

Inversion:
Show:
Piano diagram of the E♯5 chordE♯B♯E♯5 - E♯ · B♯

To play E♯5 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on E♯, middle finger on B♯, and little finger on B♯. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

E♯5 on guitar

Show:
Guitar chord diagram of the E♯5 chord122EADGBeE♯5
Beginner
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1fr

On guitar, E♯5 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they don't mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

E♯5
E♯ · B♯

E♯5 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 5Notes: E♯ · B♯Also known as: F5
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0E♯(E#)
5Perfect fifth7B♯(B#)

How to use the E♯5 chord

The E♯5 chord is built from a root and a perfect fifth. Starting from the root E♯, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: E♯ and B♯. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Power chords are the engine of punk, metal, grunge and hard rock, played on the low strings with distortion. Guitarists move a single shape up and down the neck, which is why riffs built from them transpose so easily.

Common progressions

The E♯5 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
FCDmA♯

Related chords to E♯5

Once you are comfortable with E♯5, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with E♯5 and are a natural next step in your practice.

C5
C · G
C♯5
C♯ · G♯
D5
D · A
E♭5
E♭ · B♭
E♯ Major
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯
E♯ Minor
E♯ · G♯ · B♯
E♯7
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D♯
E♯maj7
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D𝄪
B♭5
B♭ · F

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E♯5 chord?
The E♯5 chord contains E♯ and B♯ (E# and B# in plain text).
Is the E♯5 chord major or minor?
E♯5 is a power chord. Power chords have no third at all, only a root and a fifth, so they are neither major nor minor. That emptiness is the point: run one through a distorted amp and it stays clean and thick where a full triad would turn to mud.
How do you play E♯5 on piano?
Place your fingers on E♯ and B♯ and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.
How do you play E♯5 on guitar?
E♯5 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.
What is another name for the E♯5 chord?
E♯5 is enharmonically equivalent to F5. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the E♯5 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsExplore scalesExplore progressionsChord TransposerChord FinderTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths