9b5 chords

The 9th sharp 5th chord is an alternate ninth chord. This chord is a dominant ninth with a sharpened fifth. By comparing C9 with C9#5 we can see that the notes change from C, E, G, Bb, D to C, E, G#, Bb, D. The chord is sometimes written 9(#5), in which the parentheses make it clearer, or as C9+5 with the plus replacing the flat symbol. It can also be written as 9b13 (the flat 13th is the lowered 5th on the next octave).

9#5 (9b13)

C9#5

C#9#5

D9#5

Eb9#5

E9#5

F9#5

F#9#5

G9#5

G#9#5

A9#5

Bb9#5

B9#5

Chord structure

The ninth flat fifth is built with the formula 1-3-#5-b7-9. This includes the root (1), the third (3), the augmented fifth (#5), the minor seventh (b7) and the ninth (9).

Notes in chord

C9#5  C - E - G# - Bb - D
C#9#5  C# - F - A - B - D#
D9#5 D - F# - A# - C - E
D#9#5  D# - G - B - C# - F
E9#5  E - G# - C - D - F#
F9#5  F - A - C# - D# - G
F#9#5  F# - A# - D - E - G#
G9#5  G - B - D# - F - A
G#9#5  G# - C - E - F# - A#
A9#5  A - C# - F - G - B
A#9#5  A# - D - F# - G# - C
B9#5  B - D# - G - A - C#
The intervals are 1 - 3 - #5 - b7 - 9

Chord comparisons

The ninth sharp five chord has similarities with the dominant ninth and the ninth flat five:

Notes in chord

C9 C - E - G - Bb - D
C9b5 C - E - Gb - Bb - D
C9#5 C - E - G# - Bb - D
Theoretical order of notes


See other alternate chords.

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