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E9b5 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 E3 · D4 fingers 5–1
Right hand Ab4 · Bb4 · F#5 fingers 1–2–5

How to play the E9b5 chord on piano

Split the recommended voicing between the hands: play E3 and D4 with the left hand and Ab4, Bb4 and F#5 with the right. Suggested fingering is 5–1 on the left and 1–2–5 on the right (1 is the thumb).

Notation for E9b5 chord

Other names: E 9th flat 5

Music theory name: ninth flat five chord

Common name: E 9b5 chord

Intervals and tones in E9b5 chord

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

More chords with E as the root

The same chord type in other keys