Tools / Chords / B♭ 5th

B♭ 5th chord on guitar (B♭5)

Also written B♭5, B♭ or B♭ power chord

B♭ 5th contains the notes B♭ and F. This intermediate power chord at the first fret demands a stretch between the index and ring fingers.

1st fret×-1-3-3-×-×

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

B♭1Root

F5Perfect 5th

Formula 1, 5

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionB♭–FB♭5Bass B♭

First inversionF–B♭B♭5/FBass F

Why it sounds like that

B♭ 5th is built from the 1st and 5th degrees of the B♭ major scale, giving the formula 1–5. The perfect fifth interval creates the open, neutral sound typical of power chords. Compare it with B♭ major, which adds the major third D for a complete major triad.

What goes wrong with B♭ 5th?

The 6th string sounds because the thumb does not mute it.
The 2nd string rings open when the fretting hand fails to mute it.
The 4th string buzzes because the middle finger is too far from the fret.

When to use it

B♭ 5th functions as the tonic in B♭ major progressions like B♭–E♭–F (I–IV–V) or B♭–F–Gm–E♭ (I–V–vi–IV). Its neutral fifth suits rock, punk, and metal rhythm parts. Use it with B♭ major and F major for a full major sound.

Changing to and from B♭ 5th

Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives B 5th.
Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives C 5th.

Which voicing to use

The 1st fret position is the default and works well for barre chord progressions. The 6th fret and 13th fret positions move the shape up the neck for higher voicings. The B♭5/F inversion puts the fifth in the bass, giving a less rooted, more open sound.

How do you play a B♭ 5th chord on guitar?

1st fret

Intermediate● On the diagram

B♭ 5th is played at the 1st fret as × 1 3 3 × ×: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 3 and ring finger on the G string at fret 3. The low E, B and high e strings stay muted.

Tip — The hardest part is the two-fret stretch between the index finger and the middle and ring fingers at the first fret.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	1	1	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	3	2	F (5)
3 (G)	3	3	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	muted	—	—
1 (e)	muted	—	—

6th fret

Intermediate

B♭ 5th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 8 × × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 8 and ring finger on the D string at fret 8. The G, B and high e strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	6	1	B♭ (1)
5 (A)	8	2	F (5)
4 (D)	8	3	B♭ (1)
3 (G)	muted	—	—
2 (B)	muted	—	—
1 (e)	muted	—	—

13th fret

Intermediate

B♭ 5th is played at the 13th fret as × 13 15 15 × ×: index finger on the A string at fret 13, middle finger on the D string at fret 15 and ring finger on the G string at fret 15. The low E, B and high e strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	13	1	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	15	2	F (5)
3 (G)	15	3	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	muted	—	—
1 (e)	muted	—	—

B♭5/F inversion · fret 1

Intermediate

B♭ 5th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 3 3 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, middle finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3. The B and high e strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1	F (5)
5 (A)	1	2	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	3	3	F (5)
3 (G)	3	4	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	muted	—	—
1 (e)	muted	—	—

B♭5/F inversion · fret 13

Intermediate

B♭ 5th is played at the 13th fret as 13 13 15 15 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 13, middle finger on the A string at fret 13, ring finger on the D string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 15. The B and high e strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	13	1	F (5)
5 (A)	13	2	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	15	3	F (5)
3 (G)	15	4	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	muted	—	—
1 (e)	muted	—	—

Common questions

How is B♭ 5th written?

B♭ 5th is written as B♭5, Bb5, or B♭ power chord. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

What is the difference between B♭ 5th and B♭ major?

B♭ 5th contains only B♭ and F, while B♭ major adds D. The missing third makes the power chord neutral and suitable for both major and minor contexts.

Can B♭ 5th be played with a barre?

The default position uses separate fingers, not a barre. The inversion position at the 1st fret uses the index finger on both the 6th and 5th strings, but it is not a full barre.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

B♭ (1)

5 (A)

F (5)

4 (D)

B♭ (1)

3 (G)

muted

—

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (5)

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (5)

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—