How to play A7b9b5: a dominant 7th flat 9 flat 5 built on A, with 1 voicing, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.
The first diagram is one possible voicing: played at the first few frets. An X above a string means don't play it; an O means play it open.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: 5 1 1 2 2 x (x = not played).
| Note | A | C# | Eb | Bb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b5 | b9 |
A7b9b5 is a dominant 7th flat 9 flat 5 with A as its root. The full theoretical spelling is A, C#, Eb, G, Bb. This voicing does without the flat 7th, which changes the character more noticeably.
A7b9b5 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.
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A7b9b5 is spelled A, C#, Eb, G, Bb: the root, 3rd, flat 5th, flat 7th, flat 9th. The common guitar voicing sounds A, C#, Eb, Bb, leaving out the flat 7th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: 5 1 1 2 2 x (x means the string is not played). Lay your index finger across the 1st fret from the A string to the D string (a barre). Add the G and B strings at the 2nd fret. Add the low E string at the 5th fret. Strum from the low E string down, skipping the high E string.
A7b9b5 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.
