Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Chord
E Seventh Sharp Nine Chord (E7♯9)
Gritty, funky and aggressive. The sharp ninth rubs against the major third, combining major and minor colours in one chord.
- E7♯9
- 5 notes
- 020004
1Composition: what it contains
E – G♯ – B – D – F𝄪
- Symbol
- E7♯9
- Also written
- E7♯9, E7(♯9), E7+9
- Formula
- 1 3 5 ♭7 ♯9
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | unison | 0 |
| 3 | G♯ | major third | 4 |
| 5 | B | perfect fifth | 7 |
| ♭7 | D | minor seventh | 10 |
| ♯9 | F𝄪 | augmented ninth | 15 |
2Appearance: diagrams and sound
On the guitar
020004open position
x7678xfret 6
12-10-9-9-9-10fret 9
12-14-12-13-12-15fret 12On the ukulele
7747fret 4
9-8-10-10fret 8
12-14-12-11fret 11On the piano
On the staff
On bass and as an arpeggio
3Indications: what it is used for
Famous in rock, funk, blues-rock and soul as a tonic dominant chord with attitude, and in jazz as an altered V7 resolving to I or i. Its sharp ninth is enharmonic to the minor third, so it suits minor-pentatonic soloing over a dominant groove. In jazz, the altered scale or half-whole diminished scale fits over it. It frequently appears in blues and funk vamps and as the V chord in minor ii–V–i progressions.
4Dosage: how to practise it
On guitar, learn the classic shape rooted on the fifth string (root, 3, ♭7, ♯9) and practise funk rhythms at 90–120 BPM, muting between hits. On piano, play the left-hand voicing 3-♭7-♯9 and the right-hand altered voicings. Practise iiø7–V7♯9–im and a twelve-bar blues with every chord as 7♯9. Arpeggiate the chord. Five to ten minutes daily. On piano, practise comping with short, accented hits. Try improvising with the blues scale over a 7♯9 vamp, then with the altered scale, to hear both colours.
5Warnings and common mistakes
The sharp ninth is not a minor third: it sits above the major third, which must also be present. Do not confuse 7♯9 with m7, which has no major third. Avoid placing the ♯9 below the third in voicings, which turns the sound into a muddy minor chord. In a major ii–V–I, the sharp ninth may clash with a melody containing the natural ninth. The symbol '7+9' is ambiguous; prefer 7♯9.
6Interactions with chords, scales and keys
Inversions
- Inversion 1 · E7♯9/G♯ · G♯ – B – D – F𝄪 – E
- Inversion 2 · E7♯9/B · B – D – F𝄪 – E – G♯
- Inversion 3 · E7♯9/D · D – F𝄪 – E – G♯ – B
- Inversion 4 · E7♯9/F𝄪 · F𝄪 – E – G♯ – B – D
Scales to play over E7♯9
7Other presentations available
The same chord from every note
C7♯9 C♯7♯9 D7♯9 E♭7♯9 F7♯9 F♯7♯9 G7♯9 A♭7♯9 A7♯9 B♭7♯9 B7♯9
Other chords on E
E Em Edim Eaug Esus2 Esus4 E5 E6 Em6 E7 Emaj7 Em7 Em7♭5 Edim7 Em(maj7) E7sus4 Eadd9 Em(add9) E6/9 E9 Emaj9 Em9 E11 Em11 E13 E7♭9 E7♯5 E7♭5
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.