E♯7♭9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♯7♭9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and F♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as F7♭9.
Dominant seventh flat nine chords sound dark and urgent. Stacking a minor ninth on a dominant seventh tightens the tension already built into the tritone, which makes the chord a strong pull toward a minor tonic.
- Notes
- E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D♯ · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♭9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 13
- Note
- E♯
- Quality
- Dominant 7♭9
- Symbol
- E♯7♭9
E♯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 E♯7♭9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E♯, index finger on G𝄪, middle finger on B♯, ring finger on D♯ and little finger on F♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯ and F♯ are black keys and E♯, G𝄪 and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call F, A and C. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♯1
- G𝄪3
- B♯5
- D♯♭7
- F♯♭9
E♯7♭9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♯7♭9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. String 5 rings open.
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D♯ · F♯
Try E♯7♭9 on the virtual piano
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E♯7♭9 chord notes
Also known as F7♭9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G𝄪(G##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♯(B#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D♯(D#) | |
| ♭9 | Minor ninth | 13 | F♯(F#) |
How to use the E♯7♭9 chord
The E♯7♭9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a minor ninth. Start at the root E♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and F♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant seventh flat nine chords are the classic altered dominant of bebop and gospel, most often the V7 of a ii-V-i in a minor key. Gospel piano voices this chord thick under the vocal line right before it resolves.
How E♯7♭9 differs from similar chords
E♯7♭9 is E♯7 with a minor ninth, a half step above the root, where E♯9 has a major ninth. Leave out the root and the other four notes form a diminished seventh chord a major third up. That is why it pulls so hard towards a minor chord a fifth below.
Where E♯7♭9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯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 E♯7♭9 chord?
- The E♯7♭9 chord contains E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and F♯ (E#, G##, B#, D# and F# in plain text).
- Is the E♯7♭9 chord major or minor?
- E♯7♭9 is a altered dominant seventh chord. Dominant seventh flat nine chords sound dark and urgent. Stacking a minor ninth on a dominant seventh tightens the tension already built into the tritone, which makes the chord a strong pull toward a minor tonic.
- How do you play E♯7♭9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and F♯ 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 F♯ are black keys and E♯, G𝄪 and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call F, A and C.
- How do you play E♯7♭9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. String 5 rings open.
- What is another name for the E♯7♭9 chord?
- E♯7♭9 is enharmonically equivalent to F7♭9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.