How to play C7#9: a dominant 7th sharp 9 (the Hendrix chord) built on C, with 3 ways to play it, 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 3 2 3 4 x (x = not played).
| Note | C | E | Bb | D# |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b7 | #9 |
C7#9 is a dominant 7th sharp 9 (the Hendrix chord) with C as its root. The full theoretical spelling is C, E, G, Bb, D#. This voicing omits the 5th, the tone guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings.
C7#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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C7#9 is spelled C, E, G, Bb, D#: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, sharp 9th. The common guitar voicing sounds C, E, Bb, D#, leaving out the 5th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 3 2 3 4 x (x means the string is not played). Fret the D string at the 2nd fret. Add the A and G strings at the 3rd fret. Add the B string at the 4th fret. Strum from the A string down, skipping the high E string; the low E string stays silent.
C7#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.
