Understand and Play the C 9#5 Chord on Guitar

C9 sharp 5 guitar chord

C9#5 is the symbol for the C ninth sharp five chord, which contains C, E, G#, Bb and D (root, major third, raised fifth, minor seventh and ninth).

For lead lines, reach for the C whole-tone scale: it holds each note of the chord, so every chord tone is available. The lowest voicing starts at fret 2 and the highest reaches fret 10.

The raised fifth leans upward, which gives the chord a bright but unsettled colour. The interactive fretboard at the top lets you listen to each voicing as a strum and as an arpeggio, one string at a time.

C 9th with sharp 5th guitar chord is also written as C9(#5), C9#5, C9+5 or Caug9.

C9#5 Chord Notes and Formula

Notes of the C 9(#5) chord:

C E G# Bb D

How the Dominant Ninth Sharp Fifth chord is built:

Formula: 1 3 #5 b7 9

C9#5 Chord Interactive Fretboard

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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

C9#5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

C9 sharp 5 guitar chord

C Ninth Sharp Five Finger Positions

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

Position 2 Movable Slash Chord

C 9(#5) position 14 guitar chord diagram (C9#5/Bb slash chord)

C/Bb Ninth Sharp Five Finger Positions

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

The lowest note is Bb, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord C9#5/Bb.

download this tutorial in pdf Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

More C Chords

C Cm C7 Cm7 Cmaj7 Csus4 Csus2 Cadd9 Cdim C9 C9b5 C+(#11) Cm(maj7) Cm(maj9)

Want to know how this chord is built? Read chord symbols and intervals, or browse all C guitar chords.

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 9(#5) | D 9(#5) | E 9(#5) | F 9(#5) | G 9(#5) | A 9(#5) | B 9(#5) | C#9(#5) | D#9(#5) | F#9(#5) | G#9(#5) | A#9(#5) | Ab9(#5) | Bb9(#5) | Db9(#5) | Eb9(#5) | Gb9(#5)

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 are in C9#5?

C9#5 (C ninth sharp five) is spelled C, E, G#, Bb and D. That gives a root, a major third, a raised fifth, a minor seventh and a ninth. No double sharps are needed to spell it.

How is C9#5 different from a plain C dominant ninth?

Only the fifth changes. A dominant ninth carries the perfect fifth G, while C9#5 raises it a semitone to G#. The other notes stay the same: C, E, Bb and D.

Which scale suits C ninth sharp five?

The C Whole-Tone Scale (C, D, E, F#, G#, Bb) contains all five chord tones. The third E and the ninth D both sit a whole step or two up from the root, so the match is easy to hear.

Does C9#5 contain an augmented triad?

Yes. C, E and G# are stacked in two major thirds, which makes an augmented triad. The minor seventh Bb and the ninth D are added on top of it.

How many ways are there to play C9#5?

C9#5 has two voicings, running from fret 2 up to fret 10, and one of them uses a barre. None of the voicings uses open strings.