B♯m9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯m9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, D♯, F𝄪, A♯ and C𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Cm9.
Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- Notes
- B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪 · A♯ · C𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- B♯
- Quality
- Minor 9
- Symbol
- B♯m9
B♯m9 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♯m9 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 C𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯, F𝄪 and C𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, G and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- D♯♭3
- F𝄪5
- A♯♭7
- C𝄪9
B♯m9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯m9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪 · A♯ · C𝄪
Play B♯m9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯m9 chord notes
Also known as Cm9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | D♯(D#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♯(A#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C𝄪(C##) |
How to use the B♯m9 chord
The B♯m9 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root B♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♯, D♯, F𝄪, A♯ and C𝄪. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor ninth chords stand in for minor sevenths as the ii chord in a ii-V-I, or as the tonic of a minor groove. Neo-soul, house, jazz and R&B use them as the default minor colour.
How B♯m9 differs from similar chords
B♯m9 adds a major ninth to B♯m7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from B♯9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where B♯m9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯m9 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♯m9 chord?
- The B♯m9 chord contains B♯, D♯, F𝄪, A♯ and C𝄪 (B#, D#, F##, A# and C## in plain text).
- Is the B♯m9 chord major or minor?
- B♯m9 is a minor ninth chord. Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- How do you play B♯m9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♯, D♯, F𝄪, A♯ and C𝄪 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 D♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯, F𝄪 and C𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, G and D.
- How do you play B♯m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯m9 chord?
- B♯m9 is enharmonically equivalent to Cm9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.