Master the D7b9 Guitar Chord: Understand and Play with Precision

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On D, D7(b9) (D seventh flat nine) uses D, F#, A, C and Eb. Being a dominant chord, it most often pulls toward a minor chord whose root is a fourth above D.

The eleven voicings here run from fret 1 to fret 14, and four of them are barre shapes. Try the D Phrygian Dominant scale next. It is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale and it contains all five chord tones, so it fits the chord from start to finish.

Pick a tempo for the drum loop in the tool at the top of the page and repeat the chord in time.

D 7th with flat 9th guitar chord is also written as D7(b9), D7b9 or D7-9.

Notes that compose the D 7(b9) chord:

D F# A C Eb

Chord formula for the Dominant Seventh Flat Nine Added chord:

Formula: 1 3 5 b7 b9

D 7(B9) Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the G string

Position 2 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the low E string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the D string

Position 3 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the low E, D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the high E string

Position 4 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the B string

Position 5 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the high E string

Position 6 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the A string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the low E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the G string

Position 7 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the high E string

Position 8 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 1 of the B 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 high E string

Position 9 Movable

D 7(b9) position 18 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the high E string

Position 10 Movable

D 7(b9) position 19 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 13 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 13 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 14 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 14 of the high E string

Position 11 Movable

D 7(b9) position 20 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the high E 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 7(b9) | D 7(b9) | E 7(b9) | F 7(b9) | G 7(b9) | A 7(b9) | B 7(b9) | C#7(b9) | D#7(b9) | F#7(b9) | G#7(b9) | A#7(b9) | Ab7(b9) | Bb7(b9) | Db7(b9) | Eb7(b9) | Gb7(b9)

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

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

FAQ

What notes are in D7(b9)?

D, F#, A, C and Eb. The Eb is the flat ninth, a half step higher than D one octave up. The other four notes make an ordinary D seventh chord.

How is D7(b9) different from D7?

D7 holds D, F#, A and C. D7(b9) adds Eb on top, a half step higher than the root one octave up. The added note makes the chord more tense and eager to resolve.

Is D7(b9) related to an F# diminished chord?

Yes. Without the root D, the notes F#, A, C and Eb stack in minor thirds and form an F# diminished seventh chord. That is a handy way to hear the tension in D7(b9).

Which scale can I play over the D seventh flat nine chord?

The D Phrygian Dominant scale, spelled D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb and C, contains all five chord tones. It is the fifth mode of harmonic minor.

How many voicings are listed for D7(b9)?

Eleven voicings are listed, from the first fret all the way to the fourteenth fret. Four of them are barre voicings, and none of them uses open strings.