As the VC major
- ii7Dm7
- V7♯9G7♯9
- Imaj7Cmaj7
G7♯9 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
G7♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G7♯9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note G. Its notes are G, B, D, F and A♯.
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
- G · B · D · F · A♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 15
- Note
- G
- Quality
- Dominant 7♯9
- Symbol
- G7♯9
G7♯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 G7♯9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G, index finger on B, middle finger on D, ring finger on F and little finger on A♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♯ is a black key and G, B, D and F are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G1
- B3
- D5
- F♭7
- A♯♯9
G7♯9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G7♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 4, 3 and 2 ring open.
G · B · D · F · A♯
Play G7♯9 on the online piano
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G7♯9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | F | |
| ♯9 | Augmented ninth | 15 | A♯(A#) |
How to use the G7♯9 chord
The G7♯9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and an augmented ninth. Start at the root G and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G, B, D, F 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 G7♯9 differs from similar chords
G7♯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 G7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from G9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
Where G7♯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 G7♯9 chord?
- The G7♯9 chord contains G, B, D, F and A♯ (G, B, D, F and A# in plain text).
- Is the G7♯9 chord major or minor?
- G7♯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 G7♯9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G, B, D, F 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 A♯ is a black key and G, B, D and F are white.
- How do you play G7♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 4, 3 and 2 ring open.
- What chords work well with G7♯9?
- G7♯9 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.