F♭7♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭7♯9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G. It's enharmonically the same chord as E7♯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
- F♭ · A♭ · C♭ · E𝄫 · G
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 15
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Dominant 7♯9
- Symbol
- F♭7♯9
F♭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 F♭7♯9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, index finger on A♭, middle finger on C♭, ring finger on E𝄫 and little finger on G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♭ is a black key and F♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G are white. F♭, C♭ and E𝄫 are the keys you'd normally call E, B and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- A♭3
- C♭5
- E𝄫♭7
- G♯9
F♭7♯9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭7♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 6, 4 and 2 ring open.
F♭ · A♭ · C♭ · E𝄫 · G
Try F♭7♯9 on the virtual piano
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F♭7♯9 chord notes
Also known as E7♯9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | E𝄫(Ebb) | |
| ♯9 | Augmented ninth | 15 | G |
How to use the F♭7♯9 chord
The F♭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 F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G. 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 F♭7♯9 differs from similar chords
F♭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 F♭7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from F♭9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
Where F♭7♯9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭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 F♭7♯9 chord?
- The F♭7♯9 chord contains F♭, A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G (Fb, Ab, Cb, Ebb and G in plain text).
- Is the F♭7♯9 chord major or minor?
- F♭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 F♭7♯9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G 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 A♭ is a black key and F♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G are white. F♭, C♭ and E𝄫 are the keys you'd normally call E, B and D.
- How do you play F♭7♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 6, 4 and 2 ring open.
- What is another name for the F♭7♯9 chord?
- F♭7♯9 is enharmonically equivalent to E7♯9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.