As the VC♯ major
- ii7D♯m7
- V7♯9G♯7♯9
- Imaj7C♯maj7
G♯7♯9 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
G♯7♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯7♯9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B♯, D♯, F♯ and A𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭7♯9.
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
- G♯7♯9
G♯7♯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 G♯7♯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 G♯, D♯ and F♯ are black keys and B♯ and A𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C and B. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G♯1
- B♯3
- D♯5
- F♯♭7
- A𝄪♯9
G♯7♯9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯7♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 2 rings open.
G♯ · B♯ · D♯ · F♯ · A𝄪
Try G♯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.
G♯7♯9 chord notes
Also known as A♭7♯9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B♯(B#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♯(D#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | F♯(F#) | |
| ♯9 | Augmented ninth | 15 | A𝄪(A##) |
How to use the G♯7♯9 chord
The G♯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 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 G♯7♯9 differs from similar chords
G♯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 G♯7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from G♯9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
Where G♯7♯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 G♯7♯9 chord?
- The G♯7♯9 chord contains G♯, B♯, D♯, F♯ and A𝄪 (G#, B#, D#, F# and A## in plain text).
- Is the G♯7♯9 chord major or minor?
- G♯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 G♯7♯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 G♯, D♯ and F♯ are black keys and B♯ and A𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C and B. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯7♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 2 rings open.
- What is another name for the G♯7♯9 chord?
- G♯7♯9 is enharmonically equivalent to A♭7♯9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.