Chords
B 11b9
B · F# · A · C · E
B 11b9 (B11b9) is a other chord of 5 notes: B · F# · A · C · E.
B 11b9
B · F# · A · C · E
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Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | B3 · F#4 · A4 · C5 · E5 | |
| Open (drop 2) | B3 · C4 · F#4 · A4 · E5 | |
| Rootless | A3 · C4 · E4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
B 11b9 (B11b9) contains the notes B · F# · A · C · E, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of B 11b9 puts a chord tone other than B in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales B 11b9 belongs to.
In which keys
B 11b9 is diatonic to 2 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
B 11b9 fits inside these scales, each built on B.
- B PhrygianB · C · D · E · F# · G · A
- B Phrygian DominantB · C · D# · E · F# · G · A
- B Dorian b2B · C · D · E · F# · G# · A
- B Spanish HeptatonicB · C · D · D# · E · F# · G · A
- B Bebop LocrianB · C · D · E · F · F# · G · A
Understanding the B 11b9 chord
Names and symbols
B11b9 is the chord symbol for B 11b9.
Common questions
- What notes are in the B 11b9 chord?
- The B 11b9 chord contains the notes B · F# · A · C · E: the root B with the intervals 1P, 5P, 7m, 9m, 11P stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally B, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the B 11b9 chord?
- Measured from B, the B 11b9 chord stacks the intervals 1P, 5P, 7m, 9m, 11P. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the B 11b9 chord?
- On guitar the most common B 11b9 shape is x24210, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play B3 · F#4 · A4 · C5 · E5 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.