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 A♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as F7♯9.
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
- E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D♯ · A♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 15
- 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 A♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯ and A♭ 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
- A♭♯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. String 5 rings open.
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D♯ · A♭
Try E♯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.
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 | Augmented ninth | 15 | A♭(Ab) |
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 an augmented ninth. Start at the root E♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and A♭. 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 E♯7♯9 differs from similar chords
E♯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 E♯7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from E♯9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
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 A♭ (E#, G##, B#, D# and Ab in plain text).
- Is the E♯7♯9 chord major or minor?
- E♯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 E♯7♯9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and A♭ 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 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. 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.