B seventh, sharp ninth
How to play B7♯9 — Seventh, sharp ninth
B7♯9 (Seventh, sharp ninth)B · D♯ · F♯ · A · C♯♯
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
B seventh, sharp ninth — notes and structure
The B7♯9 chord is the "Hendrix chord" — a dominant seventh with a raised ninth, gritty and bluesy.
The B7♯9 seventh, sharp ninth consists of the notes B, D♯, F♯, A, C♯♯. Its interval structure is R–3–5–7–9 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
B7♯9 stacks a major third (D♯), a perfect fifth (F♯), a minor seventh (A) and a raised ninth (C♯♯) above the root B.
The finder shows 2 ways to play B7♯9 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 5th fret. 1 of them use a barre.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the B seventh, sharp ninth chord?
- The B7♯9 chord contains the notes B, D♯, F♯, A, C♯♯. It is the "Hendrix chord" — a dominant seventh with a raised ninth, gritty and bluesy.
- How many ways can you play B7♯9 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is B7♯9 a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.