Explore and Master the B 9b5 Guitar Chord Shapes

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B9b5, the B ninth flat five chord, is spelled B, D#, F, A and C#. The F is a diminished fifth above the root, and the C# on top is the ninth.

All three voicings are barres, none with an open string, and the lowest is at the 1st fret. A tritone sits between the root and the F, and another between the D# and the A. The theory of stacking such altered notes is explained in how chords are built. The B Lydian dominant scale contains all five.

The player labels each note, so the ninth is easy to pick out.

B 9th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as B9b5, B9(b5) or B9-5.

B 9b5 chord Notes:

B D# F A C#

Tones in the Dominant Ninth Flat five chord:

Formula: 1 3 b5 b7 9

B 9b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the low E, D and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 2 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 2 of the B string

Position 2 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the A, G and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the low E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the high E string

Position 3 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the D and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the B string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 9b5 | D 9b5 | E 9b5 | F 9b5 | G 9b5 | A 9b5 | B 9b5 | C#9b5 | D#9b5 | F#9b5 | G#9b5 | A#9b5 | Ab9b5 | Bb9b5 | Db9b5 | Eb9b5 | Gb9b5

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In the ebook you can also find maps show you the tones in a chord all along the fretboard. They are incredibly helpful because allow you to:

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

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

FAQ

Which notes spell B9b5?

B9b5 is B, D#, F, A and C#. The F is the lowered fifth and the C# is the major ninth over the root.

What does B9b5 add to B7b5?

B7b5 has B, D#, F and A. B9b5 keeps those four and adds C#, a major ninth over the root.

How many different voicings does the B ninth flat five chord have?

There are 3 voicings, from fret 1 to fret 10. All 3 are barre voicings and none uses an open string.

Which scale suits B9b5?

The B whole-tone scale is B, C#, D#, E#, F## and A. All five chord pitches are in it, with the chord's F written as E#.

What is the difference between B9 and B9b5?

B9 contains B, D#, F#, A and C#. B9b5 lowers the F# to F, which makes the fifth diminished.