Easy Ways To Play The Bb9(#5) Guitar Chord

Bb 9(#5) guitar chord shapes

Bb9#5 is the symbol for the Bb ninth sharp five chord, which contains Bb, D, F#, Ab and C (root, major third, raised fifth, minor seventh and ninth).

Compared with a plain ninth chord, only the fifth changes: it is raised by a semitone. The ninth and the raised fifth, C and F#, are a tritone apart. The Bb whole-tone scale contains all five chord tones, which makes it a reliable scale for soloing over Bb9#5.

The major third and the minor seventh form the same tritone as in any dominant chord, which gives it its pull.

Bb 9th with sharp 5th guitar chord is also written as Bb9(#5), Bb9#5, Bb9+5 or Bbaug9.

Notes in the Bb 9(#5) chord:

Bb D F# Ab C

Chord Formula:

1
b2
2
b3
3
4
b5
5
#5
6
b7
7
8
b9
9
#9
11
#11
13

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 9(#5) | D 9(#5) | E 9(#5) | F 9(#5) | G 9(#5) | A 9(#5) | B 9(#5) | C#9(#5) | D#9(#5) | F#9(#5) | G#9(#5) | A#9(#5) | Ab9(#5) | Bb9(#5) | Db9(#5) | Eb9(#5) | Gb9(#5)

Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What notes does Bb9#5 contain?

Bb9#5 contains Bb, D, F#, Ab and C. That is a root, a major third, a raised fifth, a minor seventh and a ninth. The F# replaces the F of a normal dominant ninth.

How is Bb9#5 different from Bb9?

Bb9 has the perfect fifth F. Bb9#5 raises it to F#, a semitone higher, while Bb, D, Ab and C stay unchanged. The raised fifth gives the chord its leaning, unsettled colour.

Do Bb9#5 and A#9#5 name the same sound?

Yes. A#9#5 uses the same pitches, spelled A#, C##, E##, G# and B#. Bb9#5 is the readable spelling, so it is the one you will see on most charts.

Which scale covers Bb ninth sharp five?

The Bb Whole-Tone Scale (Bb, C, D, E, F#, Ab) contains all five chord tones. Every note of the chord is a member of it.