Master G7b9 Guitar Chord: Fretboard Visuals & Real-time Play

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G7(b9) (G seventh flat nine) is G7 with a flat ninth added: G, B, D, F and Ab. The flat ninth lies a half step above the root, one octave up, and that close interval is where the sharp edge of this chord comes from.

Between fret 1 and fret 13, this page holds eleven voicings, and one of them uses an open string. Every tone of G7(b9) sits inside the G Phrygian Dominant scale, the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale, so it is a natural pool of notes for lines over the chord. Moving into it from a simpler chord is quicker with smoother chord changes.

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

G 7th with flat 9th guitar chord is also written as G7(b9), G7b9 or G7-9.

Notes that compose the G 7(b9) chord:

G B D F Ab

Formula of the Dominant Seventh Flat Nine Added chord:

#11

G 7(B9) Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Open

Finger Positions

Let the B string play without pressing any fret
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the low E string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 3 of the D string

Position 2 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

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

Position 3 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

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

Position 4 Movable

G 7(b9) position 14 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

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

Position 5 Movable

G 7(b9) position 15 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the high E string

Position 6 Movable

G 7(b9) position 16 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

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

Position 7 Movable

G 7(b9) position 17 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the B string

Position 8 Movable

G 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 9 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the high E string

Position 9 Movable

G 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 12 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 13 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 13 of the high E string

Position 10 Movable

G 7(b9) position 20 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the B string

Position 11 Movable

G 7(b9) position 21 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

Mute the G string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the low E string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 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 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 G7(b9)?

G, B, D, F and Ab. The Ab is the flat ninth, a half step higher than G one octave up, and the other four notes form a G seventh chord.

How does G7(b9) differ from G7?

G7 holds G, B, D and F. G7(b9) adds Ab, a half step higher than the root one octave up. The added note gives a darker, more tense sound than the plain dominant.

Is G7(b9) linked to a B diminished chord?

Yes. Without the root G, the notes B, D, F and Ab stack in minor thirds and form a B diminished seventh chord. This is one way to hear what the flat ninth adds.

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

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

How many voicings are listed for G7(b9)?

Eleven voicings are listed, from the first fret up to the thirteenth fret. One of them uses open strings and two are barre voicings.