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Guitar chords · Dominant 7th sharp 9th

F7♯9 chord on guitar (F7#9)

F7♯9 (F sharp 9th) has five notes: F, A, C, E♭ and G♯, the , 3, 5, ♭7 and ♯9.

Shapes

How to play F7♯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.

F7♯9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 1 or the A shape at fret 8. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • E shape · fret 1

    ×R♭73♭7♯9FE♭AE♭G♯
  • A shape · fret 8

    7fr××R3♭7♯9FAE♭G♯
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes F7♯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 F7♯9 a sharp 9th chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. FRroot
  2. A3essential
  3. C5optional
  4. E♭♭7essential
  5. G♯♯9essential
EADGBE0135791215FFFFFFFFFG♯ACE♭ACE♭G♯ACE♭G♯ACE♭G♯ACE♭G♯ACE♭G♯ACG♯ACE♭
  • F, the root
  • Other chord tones

As a V chord, F7♯9 resolves to B♭ or, more often, B♭m: the V7♯9–i move.

Keys

Keys with F7♯9

F7♯9 fits no major or minor key: its ♯9 (G♯) 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 F or as a V chord resolving to B♭.

Slash chords

F7♯9 over another bass note

A keeps F7♯9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • F7♯9/A

    F7♯9 with its 3rd, A, in the bass.

  • F7♯9/C

    F7♯9 with its 5th, C, in the bass.

  • F7♯9/E♭

    F7♯9 with its ♭7th, E♭, in the bass.

Questions

F7♯9, in short

What notes are in the F7♯9 chord?
F7♯9 (F sharp 9th) has five notes: F, A, C, E♭ and G♯, the , 3, 5, ♭7 and ♯9.
How do you play F7♯9 on guitar?
F7♯9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 1 or the A shape at fret 8.
What key is F7♯9 in?
F7♯9 fits no major or minor key: its ♯9 (G♯) 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 F or as a V chord resolving to B♭.
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