B♯7♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯7♯9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A♯ and E♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as C7♯9.
Dominant seventh sharp nine chords sound gritty and bluesy at once, the clash of a major third against a sharp ninth that reads to the ear like a minor third. Funk, rock and soul horn sections lean hard on this one chord.
- Notes
- B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪 · A♯ · E♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 15
- Note
- B♯
- Quality
- Dominant 7♯9
- Symbol
- B♯7♯9
B♯7♯9 on piano
5 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♯7♯9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♯, index finger on D𝄪, middle finger on F𝄪, ring finger on A♯ and little finger on E♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♯ and E♭ are black keys and B♯, D𝄪 and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, E and G. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- D𝄪3
- F𝄪5
- A♯♭7
- E♭♯9
B♯7♯9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯7♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 4. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪 · A♯ · E♭
Play B♯7♯9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯7♯9 chord notes
Also known as C7♯9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D𝄪(D##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♯(A#) | |
| ♯9 | Augmented ninth | 15 | E♭(Eb) |
How to use the B♯7♯9 chord
The B♯7♯9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and an augmented ninth. Start at the root B♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A♯ and E♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant seventh sharp nine chords drive funk, blues-rock and fusion as the tonic of a dominant-based vamp, not only as a V chord. Whole grooves in soul and rock guitar are built around this one chord.
How B♯7♯9 differs from similar chords
B♯7♯9 holds both a major third and a raised ninth that sounds like a minor third, so it is major and minor at once. That clash separates it from B♯7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from B♯9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
Where B♯7♯9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯7♯9 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯7♯9 chord?
- The B♯7♯9 chord contains B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A♯ and E♭ (B#, D##, F##, A# and Eb in plain text).
- Is the B♯7♯9 chord major or minor?
- B♯7♯9 is a altered dominant seventh chord. Dominant seventh sharp nine chords sound gritty and bluesy at once, the clash of a major third against a sharp ninth that reads to the ear like a minor third. Funk, rock and soul horn sections lean hard on this one chord.
- How do you play B♯7♯9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A♯ and E♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard A♯ and E♭ are black keys and B♯, D𝄪 and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, E and G.
- How do you play B♯7♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 4. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯7♯9 chord?
- B♯7♯9 is enharmonically equivalent to C7♯9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.