How to play B7#9: a dominant 7th sharp 9 (the Hendrix chord) built on B, with 1 voicing, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.
The first diagram is a common 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: x 2 1 2 3 x (x = not played).
| Note | B | D# | A | Cx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b7 | #9 |
B7#9 is a dominant 7th sharp 9 (the Hendrix chord) with B as its root. The full theoretical spelling is B, D#, F#, A, Cx. This voicing omits the 5th, the tone guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings.
B7#9 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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B7#9 is spelled B, D#, F#, A, Cx: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, sharp 9th. The common guitar voicing sounds B, D#, A, Cx, leaving out the 5th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 2 1 2 3 x (x means the string is not played). Fret the D string at the 1st fret. Add the A and G strings at the 2nd fret. Add the B string at the 3rd fret. Strum from the A string down, skipping the high E string; the low E string stays silent.
B7#9 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.
