As the VF♯ major
- ii7G♯m7
- V7♯9C♯7♯9
- Imaj7F♯maj7
C♯7♯9 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
C♯7♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯7♯9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, E♯, G♯, B and D𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭7♯9.
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
- C♯7♯9
C♯7♯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♯7♯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 C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E♯, B and D𝄪 are white. E♯ and D𝄪 are the keys you'd normally call F and E. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♯1
- E♯3
- G♯5
- B♭7
- D𝄪♯9
C♯7♯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♯7♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Strings 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
C♯ · E♯ · G♯ · B · D𝄪
Try C♯7♯9 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♯7♯9 chord notes
Also known as D♭7♯9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♯(E#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B | |
| ♯9 | Augmented ninth | 15 | D𝄪(D##) |
How to use the C♯7♯9 chord
The C♯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 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 C♯7♯9 differs from similar chords
C♯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 C♯7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from C♯9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
Where C♯7♯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♯7♯9 chord?
- The C♯7♯9 chord contains C♯, E♯, G♯, B and D𝄪 (C#, E#, G#, B and D## in plain text).
- Is the C♯7♯9 chord major or minor?
- C♯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 C♯7♯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 C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E♯, B and D𝄪 are white. E♯ and D𝄪 are the keys you'd normally call F and E. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯7♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Strings 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♯7♯9 chord?
- C♯7♯9 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭7♯9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.