Chord type

Power Chords on Piano

The power chord is the simplest chord in music — just the root and perfect fifth, with no third. This makes it neither major nor minor, giving it a strong, open, ambiguous sound that defines rock, punk, and metal music.

Each key below opens the full reference entry — keyboard diagram, audio, inversions, fingerings, and notation.

Formula: Root – Perfect 5th

Intervals: 7 semitones

Scale degrees: 1–5

Sound: Strong, open, neutral, powerful

Symbol: 5 (C5, D5 etc.)

Why no third? By omitting the third, power chords avoid committing to major or minor. This neutrality lets them work over any harmonic context and cuts through distortion cleanly — which is why they dominate electric guitar in rock and metal. On piano, power chords are used for driving bass lines and rhythmic patterns.