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C#9b5 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 C#3 · B3 fingers 5–1
Right hand F4 · G4 · Eb5 fingers 1–2–5

How to play the C#9b5 chord on piano

Split the recommended voicing between the hands: play C#3 and B3 with the left hand and F4, G4 and Eb5 with the right. Suggested fingering is 5–1 on the left and 1–2–5 on the right (1 is the thumb).

Notation for C#9b5 chord

Other names: C# 9th flat 5

Music theory name: ninth flat five chord

Common name: C# 9b5 chord

Intervals and tones in C#9b5 chord

Note Interval
C# Root
F Major 3rd
G Diminished 5th
H Minor 7th
Eb Major 9th

More chords with C# as the root

The same chord type in other keys