C7b9 Guitar Chord

A dramatic, tense sound. Common in jazz and flamenco. The flat ninth creates a strong chromatic pull toward resolution. On guitar, the fifth is sometimes omitted.

Guitar

Strings X–3–2–3–2–3

How to play the C7b9 chord on guitar

Read the string pattern X–3–2–3–2–3 from the low E string to the high E string. Numbers in the pattern are frets; numbers in the colored dots are left-hand fingers. X means a muted string and 0 means an open string.

6th string (low E) Muted

5th string (A) Fret 3 · middle finger

4th string (D) Fret 2 · index finger

3rd string (G) Fret 3 · ring finger

2nd string (B) Fret 2 · index finger

1st string (high E) Fret 3 · pinky