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Guitar chords · Dominant 7th sharp 9th

E♭7♯9 chord on guitar (Eb7#9)

E♭7♯9 (E♭ sharp 9th) has five notes: E♭, G, B♭, D♭ and F♯, the , 3, 5, ♭7 and ♯9.

Shapes

How to play E♭7♯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.

E♭7♯9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11. 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 6

    5fr××R3♭7♯9E♭GD♭F♯
  • E shape · fret 11

    11fr×R♭73♭7♯9E♭D♭GD♭F♯
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes E♭7♯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 E♭7♯9 a sharp 9th chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. E♭Rroot
  2. G3essential
  3. B♭5optional
  4. D♭♭7essential
  5. F♯♯9essential
EADGBE0135791215E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭F♯GB♭D♭F♯GB♭D♭F♯GB♭F♯GB♭D♭GB♭D♭F♯GB♭D♭F♯GB♭D♭F♯GB♭D♭F♯G
  • E♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

As a V chord, E♭7♯9 resolves to A♭ or, more often, A♭m: the V7♯9–i move.

E♭7♯9 and D♯7♯9 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with E♭7♯9

E♭7♯9 fits no major or minor key: its ♯9 (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 E♭ or as a V chord resolving to A♭.

Slash chords

E♭7♯9 over another bass note

A keeps E♭7♯9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • E♭7♯9/G

    E♭7♯9 with its 3rd, G, in the bass.

  • E♭7♯9/B♭

    E♭7♯9 with its 5th, B♭, in the bass.

  • E♭7♯9/D♭

    E♭7♯9 with its ♭7th, D♭, in the bass.

Questions

E♭7♯9, in short

What notes are in the E♭7♯9 chord?
E♭7♯9 (E♭ sharp 9th) has five notes: E♭, G, B♭, D♭ and F♯, the , 3, 5, ♭7 and ♯9.
How do you play E♭7♯9 on guitar?
E♭7♯9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11.
What key is E♭7♯9 in?
E♭7♯9 fits no major or minor key: its ♯9 (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 E♭ or as a V chord resolving to A♭.
Is E♭7♯9 the same as D♯7♯9?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. E♭7♯9 is the spelling in A♭ major, A♭ minor and F minor; D♯7♯9 only in G♯ minor.
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