Guitar Upscale7b9 Chord on guitar
A 7b9 chord is a dominant 7th chord with a flat ninth, the dark dominant chord of minor keys.
| Written as | C7b9 |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 3 5 b7 b9 |
| Notes in C7b9 | C E G Bb Db |
| Semitones from the root | 0, 4, 7, 10, 13 |
About the 7b9 Chord
E7b9 is E, G#, B, D and F.
In harmonic minor the V chord is a 7b9 chord: E7b9 resolves to Am. Gypsy jazz and flamenco use it a lot.
On guitar, drop the root and play a diminished 7th shape a fret above. The notes are the same.
Intervals
- 1: Root, 0 semitones above the root
- 3: Major 3rd, 4 semitones above the root
- 5: Perfect 5th, 7 semitones above the root
- b7: Minor 7th, 10 semitones above the root
- b9: Flat 9th, 13 semitones above the root
7b9 Chord charts in all 12 keys
Each chart shows the strings from the thick low E on the left to the thin high e on the right. Numbers in the dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little, T thumb. × marks a muted string and ○ an open one. A bar across strings is a barre.
C7b9: C E G Bb Db
G7b9: G B D F Ab
D7b9: D F# A C Eb
A7b9: A C# E G Bb
E7b9: E G# B D F
B7b9: B D# F# A C
F#7b9: F# A# C# E G
Db7b9: Db F Ab Cb D
Ab7b9: Ab C Eb Gb A
Eb7b9: Eb G Bb Db Fb
Bb7b9: Bb D F Ab Cb
F7b9: F A C Eb Gb
Scales to play over C7b9
Each of these scales, started on the root of C7b9, holds every note of the chord:
- C Phrygian Dominant scale
- C Moorish Phrygian scale
- C Diminished scale
- C Ten Tone Dominant scale
- C Ten Tone Harmonic scale