F♭9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭9 chord is a dominant ninth chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as E9.
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
- F♭ · A♭ · C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Dominant 9
- Symbol
- F♭9
F♭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♭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♭ and G♭ are black keys and F♭, C♭ and E𝄫 are white, 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♭9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 4 and 2 ring open.
F♭ · A♭ · C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭
Play F♭9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
F♭9 chord notes
Also known as E9
| 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 | Major ninth | 14 | G♭(Gb) |
How to use the F♭9 chord
The F♭9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major 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 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 F♭9 differs from similar chords
F♭9 is F♭7 with a major ninth on top, so it keeps the dominant pull of the tritone. It differs from F♭maj9 in the seventh, minor rather than major, and from F♭add9, which has no seventh at all. In F♭7♭9 and F♭7♯9 the same ninth is moved a half step down or up.
Where F♭9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭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♭9 chord?
- The F♭9 chord contains F♭, A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭ (Fb, Ab, Cb, Ebb and Gb in plain text).
- Is the F♭9 chord major or minor?
- F♭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 F♭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♭ and G♭ are black keys and F♭, C♭ and E𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call E, B and D.
- How do you play F♭9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 4 and 2 ring open.
- What is another name for the F♭9 chord?
- F♭9 is enharmonically equivalent to E9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.