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Guitar chords · Dominant 7th sharp 9th

D7♯9 chord on guitar (D7#9)

D7♯9 (D sharp 9th) has five notes: D, F♯, A, C and E♯ (played as F), the , 3, 5, ♭7 and ♯9.

Shapes

How to play D7♯9

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

D7♯9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 5 or the E shape at fret 10. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 5

    4fr××R3♭7♯9DF♯CE♯
  • E shape · fret 10

    10fr×R♭73♭7♯9DCF♯CE♯
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes D7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th

A 7♯9 chord is a chord with a raised 9th on top. The ♯9 sounds like a minor 3rd against the major 3rd, a deliberate clash; the chord is known as the Hendrix chord, at home in blues, funk and rock.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The 3rd, the ♭7th and the ♯9th make D7♯9 a sharp 9th chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. DRroot
  2. F♯3essential
  3. A5optional
  4. C♭7essential
  5. E♯♯9essential
EADGBE0135791215DDDDDDDDE♯F♯ACE♯F♯ACE♯F♯ACE♯F♯ACE♯ACE♯F♯ACE♯F♯ACE♯F♯ACE♯F♯
  • D, the root
  • Other chord tones

As a V chord, D7♯9 resolves to G or, more often, Gm: the V7♯9–i move.

Keys

Keys with D7♯9

D7♯9 fits no major or minor key: its ♯9 (E♯, usually written F) rubs against the major 3rd on purpose. It is the sound of blues, funk and rock, played as the I chord of a blues in D or as a V chord resolving to G.

Slash chords

D7♯9 over another bass note

A keeps D7♯9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • D7♯9/F♯

    D7♯9 with its 3rd, F♯, in the bass.

  • D7♯9/A

    D7♯9 with its 5th, A, in the bass.

  • D7♯9/C

    D7♯9 with its ♭7th, C, in the bass.

Questions

D7♯9, in short

What notes are in the D7♯9 chord?
D7♯9 (D sharp 9th) has five notes: D, F♯, A, C and E♯ (played as F), the , 3, 5, ♭7 and ♯9.
How do you play D7♯9 on guitar?
D7♯9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 5 or the E shape at fret 10.
What key is D7♯9 in?
D7♯9 fits no major or minor key: its ♯9 (E♯, usually written F) rubs against the major 3rd on purpose. It is the sound of blues, funk and rock, played as the I chord of a blues in D or as a V chord resolving to G.
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