F#5 Chord on Guitar
F#5 = F# – C# (Root, Perfect 5th)
F#5 lands at the second fret, one of the lowest and most accessible positions this shape occupies anywhere on the neck. Its two notes, F# and C#, are the same pitches involved in the F#-major and F#-minor barre chords discussed earlier in this collection, but stripped down to just root and fifth.
With no third present, F#5 carries no fixed major or minor quality, which is what makes power chords in general so useful for riff writing that needs to move quickly between roots without worrying about matching each one's harmonic quality precisely. Its low, comfortable fret position makes it a natural companion chord to the F#-major and F#-minor barre shapes covered earlier — a rhythm part can drop from the full barre chord down to just this power chord for a leaner, more aggressive texture without moving the hand at all.
Fingerings
Barre (2nd fret)
How to Practice It
Since it sits at the same fret as the full F# barre chords, F#5 is worth practicing as a quick strip-down move: play the full F# major or minor barre, then lift the extra fingers to leave just the power-chord notes ringing, which builds a feel for how the two textures relate on the fretboard.
Common Progressions
- F#5 – B5 – C#5 – F#5 (I – IV – V – I)
- F#5 – E5 – D5 (a descending riff)
- F#5 – A5 – B5 (a rock-style progression)
- C#5 – F#5 – G#5 (V – I – IV in F#)
FAQ
- If the barre were added back in, which chord would this power chord expand into?
- Depending on which extra note gets added on the G string, it becomes either the full F#-major or F#-minor barre chord discussed elsewhere in this set — the power chord is a genuine subset of both.
- How does F#5 relate to the F#-major and F#-minor barre chords covered earlier?
- It uses the same low-string root at the same second fret but strips away the note that would make the chord major or minor, leaving just root and fifth — a quick way to shift from a full barre chord to a leaner power-chord texture.
- Is F#5 an easy power chord for a beginner?
- Yes — sitting only two frets from the nut, it's one of the more approachable positions in this movable shape, requiring no barre and only a small hand stretch.
- Why might a rhythm guitarist switch from full F# major to F#5 mid-song?
- Dropping the third thins out the chord's texture, which can open space in a mix or add a rawer, more driving character during heavier or more aggressive sections without requiring any change in hand position.
- Does F#5 need a barre the way the full F# chords do?
- No — only three individual fingers on three adjacent strings are needed, with the rest of the fretting hand left free to mute the unused strings, which is part of why the power-chord version is so much friendlier to a beginner than the barre it's derived from.
- How does F#5's low position compare to the more remote power chords further up the neck, like B5 or D#5?
- It's considerably closer to the nut, with wider fret spacing and looser string tension, which generally makes the shape feel a little easier to fret cleanly than the same pattern played higher up.
- Is there any harmonic ambiguity in F#5 worth knowing about?
- Yes — with no third present it could theoretically resolve to either F# major or F# minor depending on what the rest of the band plays, which is exactly the flexibility songwriters rely on when building a riff before deciding on its final harmonic color.
- Does F#5 ever appear as a passing chord rather than a destination?
- Regularly — chromatic power-chord riffs often slide briefly through F#5 on the way from F5 to G5, using it as a connective step rather than a chord the progression actually lingers on.
- Would F#5 realistically be a song's home power chord, or is it always secondary?
- It can absolutely be a home root, particularly in riffs written around the key of B major, where F#5 functions as the driving V power chord underneath the same harmonic relationship the full F#-major and F#-minor barre chords cover elsewhere in this set.
Related: how chords are built, chord finder.