B Dominant Thirteen Sharp Ninth (B13(#9)) chords on guitar

B13(#9) position 1 guitar chord diagram

B thirteenth sharp nine is the full name of B13(#9), a chord of seven notes: B, D#, F#, A, C##, E and G#.

Each note sits a third above the one before it by letter name, so the stack runs root, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth. The raised ninth is C##, which sounds like D. Every tone except the eleventh sits inside the B Half-Whole scale, the eight-note scale of alternating half and whole steps.

On a chart it may be written B13#9, and it means the same chord.

B 13th with sharp 9th guitar chord is also written as B13(#9), B13#9 or B13+9.

B13(#9) Chord Notes and Formula

Notes of the B 13(#9) chord:

B D# F# A C## E G#

Tones of the Dominant Thirteen Sharp Ninth chord:

Formula: 1 3 5 b7 #9 11 13

B13(#9) Chord Interactive Fretboard

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B13(#9) Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

B13(#9) position 1 guitar chord diagram

B Thirteenth Sharp Nine Finger Positions

  • Mute the high E string
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the A string
  • 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 and G strings at the same time
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the B string

Position 2 Movable Slash Chord

B13(#9) position 2 guitar chord diagram (B13(#9)/D# slash chord)

B/D# Thirteenth Sharp Nine 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 2 of the G string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the B string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the high E string

The lowest note is D#, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord B13(#9)/D#.

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Chords That Go With B13(#9)

One key where B13(#9) fits is E major, where it works as the V chord, an altered chord whose C## is borrowed from outside the key. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:

I · E ii · F#m iii · G#m IV · A V · B vi · C#m

See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.

More B Chords

B Bm B7 Bm7 Bmaj7 Bsus4 Bsus2 Badd9 Bdim B9 B6/9 B6(#11) B7(b13) B7(b9)

Want to know how this chord is built? Read dominant chords explained, or browse all B guitar chords.

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 13(#9) | D 13(#9) | E 13(#9) | F 13(#9) | G 13(#9) | A 13(#9) | B 13(#9) | C#13(#9) | D#13(#9) | F#13(#9) | G#13(#9) | A#13(#9) | Ab13(#9) | Bb13(#9) | Db13(#9) | Eb13(#9) | Gb13(#9)

Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

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

FAQ

What notes make up B13(#9)?

B13(#9) is B, D#, F#, A, C##, E and G#. It stacks a major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, sharp ninth, eleventh and thirteenth over B.

What does the sharp nine in B13(#9) do?

It adds C##, which sounds like D natural. Next to the major third D#, it gives the chord a major and minor third clash.

Which scale can I use over B13(#9)?

The B half-whole scale has every chord tone except the eleventh, E. It includes C##, the sharp ninth, and G#, the thirteenth.

What is the difference between B13(#9) and B13?

B13 has the natural ninth, C#. B13(#9) raises it to C##, which makes the chord sound tenser and more bluesy.