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D9b5 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 D3 · C4 fingers 5–1
Right hand F#4 · Ab4 · E5 fingers 1–2–5

How to play the D9b5 chord on piano

Split the recommended voicing between the hands: play D3 and C4 with the left hand and F#4, Ab4 and E5 with the right. Suggested fingering is 5–1 on the left and 1–2–5 on the right (1 is the thumb).

Notation for D9b5 chord

Other names: D 9th flat 5

Music theory name: ninth flat five chord

Common name: D 9b5 chord

Intervals and tones in D9b5 chord

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

More chords with D as the root

The same chord type in other keys