Master the F 9b5 guitar chord with interactive tools
The F9b5 chord is F ninth flat five: F, A, Cb, Eb and G. The Cb is the lowered fifth and is the same pitch as B, and the G is the ninth.
Three voicings are listed. One touches an open string, two are barres, and the lowest is at the 1st fret. The F whole-tone scale contains every tone. If you are new to dominant sounds, dominant chords lays out the basics.
Use the strum and arpeggio buttons at the top to hear how the ninth sits over the tritone.
F 9th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as F9b5, F9(b5) or F9-5.
Notes of the F 9b5 chord:
Tones of the Dominant Ninth Flat five chord:
Formula: 1 3 b5 b7 9
F 9b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard
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F 9b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Open
Finger Positions
- Let the A string play without pressing any fret
- Let the G string play without pressing any fret
- Let the B string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the low E string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 1 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 1 of the high E string
Position 2 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the D and high E 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 B string
Position 3 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the low E, D and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B string
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FAQ
Which notes make up F9b5?
F9b5 is F, A, Cb, Eb and G. The Cb is the lowered fifth and sounds like B, and the G is the ninth.
Why is the fifth in F ninth flat five written Cb and not B?
The fifth over F takes the letter C. A diminished fifth is a semitone lower than C, so it is Cb, even though it sounds like B.
How many F9b5 voicings are there?
There are 3 voicings, from fret 1 to fret 8. One has an open string and two are barre voicings.
Which scale covers F9b5?
The F whole-tone scale is F, G, A, B, C# and Eb. All five chord pitches are in it, with the chord's Cb written as B.
How does F9b5 differ from F9?
F9 has F, A, C, Eb and G. F9b5 lowers the C to Cb and keeps the other four notes.