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C9b5 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 C3 · Bb3 fingers 5–1
Right hand E4 · F#4 · D5 fingers 1–2–5

How to play the C9b5 chord on piano

Split the recommended voicing between the hands: play C3 and Bb3 with the left hand and E4, F#4 and D5 with the right. Suggested fingering is 5–1 on the left and 1–2–5 on the right (1 is the thumb).

Notation for C9b5 chord

Other names: C 9th flat 5

Music theory name: ninth flat five chord

Common name: C 9b5 chord

Intervals and tones in C9b5 chord

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

More chords with C as the root

The same chord type in other keys