F sharp seventh flat nine (F#7(b9)) chord on guitar

Notes: F♯A♯C♯EG
Formula: 135♭7♭9

How to play F#7(b9) on guitar

Shape 1 · 1st position
Shape 2 · fret 3

no 5th (C♯)
Shape 3 · fret 8 · barre
Shape 4 · fret 5 · barre

Some shapes leave out: 5th (C♯). The caption of each one says what is missing. The 5th is the first to go: it barely changes the sound of the chord.

Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (F sharp). The same shapes work on acoustic, classical and electric guitar.

F#7(b9) inversions on guitar

The same F#7(b9) with another chord note in the bass (the lowest note that sounds). The notes stay the same, but the colour changes, and the bass line can move by step from one chord to the next. In a chord symbol, the bass comes after the slash.

3rd (A♯) in the bass1st inversion · F#7(b9)/A#
3rd (A♯) in the bass1st inversion · F#7(b9)/A#
5th (C♯) in the bass2nd inversion · F#7(b9)/C#
5th (C♯) in the bass2nd inversion · F#7(b9)/C#
7th (E) in the bass3rd inversion · F#7(b9)/E
7th (E) in the bass3rd inversion · F#7(b9)/E

About the seventh flat nine chord

A dominant chord with a flat ninth: maximum tension, with a Spanish and choro flavour. It is the typical V7 that resolves to a minor chord (E7♭9 → Am) and one of the most characteristic sounds of choro, flamenco and jazz.

Notes and intervals of F#7(b9)

F#7(b9) (F sharp seventh flat nine) is built from 5 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:

F♯ · 1 · root
A♯ · 3 · major third
C♯ · 5 · perfect fifth
E · ♭7 · minor seventh
G · ♭9 · flat ninth

Other F sharp chords

Seventh flat nine: other roots

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the F#7(b9) chord on guitar?

F#7(b9) (F sharp seventh flat nine) has 4 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.

What notes are in F#7(b9)?

The notes of F#7(b9) are F♯, A♯, C♯, E, G. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♭9: root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, flat ninth.

What does F#7(b9) mean?

F#7(b9) is the chord symbol for F sharp seventh flat nine. A dominant chord with a flat ninth: maximum tension, with a Spanish and choro flavour. It is the typical V7 that resolves to a minor chord (E7♭9 → Am) and one of the most characteristic sounds of choro, flamenco and jazz.

Can I play F#7(b9) on other instruments?

Yes. F#7(b9) also has a page on ukulele, on cavaquinho, with the fingerings for each instrument.

F#7(b9) on other instruments

All guitar chords