C seventh, flat ninth
How to play C7♭9 — Seventh, flat ninth
C7♭9 (Seventh, flat ninth)C · E · G · B♭ · D♭
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
C seventh, flat ninth — notes and structure
The C7♭9 chord is an altered dominant with a flattened ninth — dark and tense, a staple of jazz turnarounds.
The C7♭9 seventh, flat ninth consists of the notes C, E, G, B♭, D♭. 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.
C7♭9 stacks a major third (E), a perfect fifth (G), a minor seventh (B♭) and a flattened ninth (D♭) above the root C.
The finder shows 2 ways to play C7♭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 C seventh, flat ninth chord?
- The C7♭9 chord contains the notes C, E, G, B♭, D♭. It is an altered dominant with a flattened ninth — dark and tense, a staple of jazz turnarounds.
- How many ways can you play C7♭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 C7♭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.