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B9b5 Piano Chord

A tense jazz chord with a tritone. Often serves as a tritone substitution for the dominant. The fifth is already altered, so the perfect fifth is not played — the remaining notes are all included.

Piano

Recommended voicing
Left hand B2 · A3 fingers 5–1
Right hand D#4 · F4 · C#5 fingers 1–2–5

How to play the B9b5 chord on piano

Split the recommended voicing between the hands: play B2 and A3 with the left hand and D#4, F4 and C#5 with the right. Suggested fingering is 5–1 on the left and 1–2–5 on the right (1 is the thumb).

Other names for the B9b5 chord

Other names: B 9th flat 5

Music theory name: ninth flat five chord

Common name: B 9b5 chord

Notes and intervals in the B9b5 chord

Note Interval
B Root
D# Major 3rd
F Diminished 5th
A Minor 7th
C# Major 9th

More chords with B as the root

The same chord type in other keys