As the VF major
- ii7Gm7
- V7♯9C7♯9
- Imaj7Fmaj7
C7♯9 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
C7♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C7♯9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, E, G, B♭ and D♯.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
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
- C · E · G · B♭ · D♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 15
- Note
- C
- Quality
- Dominant 7♯9
- Symbol
- C7♯9
C7♯9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C7♯9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C, index finger on E, middle finger on G, ring finger on B♭ and little finger on D♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard B♭ and D♯ are black keys and C, E and G are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C1
- E3
- G5
- B♭♭7
- D♯♯9
C7♯9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C7♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 4. Don't play string 6.
C · E · G · B♭ · D♯
Play C7♯9 on the online piano
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C7♯9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B♭(Bb) | |
| ♯9 | Augmented ninth | 15 | D♯(D#) |
How to use the C7♯9 chord
The C7♯9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and an augmented ninth. Start at the root C and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C, E, G, B♭ and D♯. 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 C7♯9 differs from similar chords
C7♯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 C7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from C9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
Where C7♯9 is used
A dominant chord wants to resolve. Its home is the V of a major key - and the I of a blues, where the pull never lets up.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C7♯9 chord?
- The C7♯9 chord contains C, E, G, B♭ and D♯ (C, E, G, Bb and D# in plain text).
- Is the C7♯9 chord major or minor?
- C7♯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 C7♯9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C, E, G, B♭ and D♯ 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 B♭ and D♯ are black keys and C, E and G are white.
- How do you play C7♯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 chords work well with C7♯9?
- C7♯9 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.