Chords
C# 11b9
C# · G# · B · D · F#
C# 11b9 (C#11b9) is a other chord of 5 notes: C# · G# · B · D · F#.
C# 11b9
C# · G# · B · D · F#
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Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | C#3 · G#3 · B3 · D4 · F#4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | C#3 · D3 · G#3 · B3 · F#4 | |
| Rootless | B3 · D4 · F#4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
C# 11b9 (C#11b9) contains the notes C# · G# · B · D · F#, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of C# 11b9 puts a chord tone other than C# in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales C# 11b9 belongs to.
In which keys
C# 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
C# 11b9 fits inside these scales, each built on C#.
- C# PhrygianC# · D · E · F# · G# · A · B
- C# Phrygian DominantC# · D · E# · F# · G# · A · B
- C# Dorian b2C# · D · E · F# · G# · A# · B
- C# Spanish HeptatonicC# · D · E · E# · F# · G# · A · B
- C# Bebop LocrianC# · D · E · F# · G · G# · A · B
Understanding the C# 11b9 chord
Names and symbols
C#11b9 is the chord symbol for C# 11b9.
Common questions
- What notes are in the C# 11b9 chord?
- The C# 11b9 chord contains the notes C# · G# · B · D · F#: the root C# 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 C#, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the C# 11b9 chord?
- Measured from C#, the C# 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 C# 11b9 chord?
- On guitar the most common C# 11b9 shape is x40102, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play C#3 · G#3 · B3 · D4 · F#4 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.