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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 Bb2 · Ab3 fingers 5–1
Right hand D4 · E4 · C5 fingers 1–2–5

How to play the B9b5 chord on piano

Split the recommended voicing between the hands: play Bb2 and Ab3 with the left hand and D4, E4 and C5 with the right. Suggested fingering is 5–1 on the left and 1–2–5 on the right (1 is the thumb).

Notation for B9b5 chord

Other names: B 9th flat 5

Music theory name: ninth flat five chord

Common name: B 9b5 chord

Intervals and tones in B9b5 chord

Note Interval
B Root
D Major 3rd
E Diminished 5th
Ab Minor 7th
C Major 9th

More chords with B as the root

The same chord type in other keys