As the I of a bluesC♭ major
The twelve-bar shape boiled down. The tonic is itself a dominant seventh, which is what makes it a blues.
C♭9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♭9 chord is a dominant ninth chord built on the root note C♭. Its notes are C♭, E♭, G♭, B𝄫 and D♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as B9.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Dominant ninth chords are a dominant seventh with extra shine. The ninth on top softens the bite of the tritone below it, which is why funk, soul and blues rhythm guitar lives on this chord.
- Notes
- C♭ · E♭ · G♭ · B𝄫 · D♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- C♭
- Quality
- Dominant 9
- Symbol
- C♭9
C♭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 C♭9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♭, index finger on D♭, middle finger on E♭, ring finger on G♭ and little finger on B𝄫. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard E♭, G♭ and D♭ are black keys and C♭ and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♭1
- D♭9
- E♭3
- G♭5
- B𝄫♭7
C♭9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♭9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Don't play string 6.
C♭ · E♭ · G♭ · B𝄫 · D♭
Try C♭9 on the virtual piano
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C♭9 chord notes
Also known as B9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♭(Eb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♭(Gb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B𝄫(Bbb) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D♭(Db) |
How to use the C♭9 chord
The C♭9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major 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 ninth chords take the place of a plain dominant seventh in blues, funk, soul and jazz. As the V9 they resolve just like a V7 does, only with more colour on the way.
How C♭9 differs from similar chords
C♭9 is C♭7 with a major ninth on top, so it keeps the dominant pull of the tritone. It differs from C♭maj9 in the seventh, minor rather than major, and from C♭add9, which has no seventh at all. In C♭7♭9 and C♭7♯9 the same ninth is moved a half step down or up.
Where C♭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 C♭9 chord?
- The C♭9 chord contains C♭, E♭, G♭, B𝄫 and D♭ (Cb, Eb, Gb, Bbb and Db in plain text).
- Is the C♭9 chord major or minor?
- C♭9 is a dominant ninth chord. Dominant ninth chords are a dominant seventh with extra shine. The ninth on top softens the bite of the tritone below it, which is why funk, soul and blues rhythm guitar lives on this chord.
- How do you play C♭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 E♭, G♭ and D♭ are black keys and C♭ and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B and A.
- How do you play C♭9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♭9 chord?
- C♭9 is enharmonically equivalent to B9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.