A♭7♯9
A♭ 7th Sharp 9
1 3 5 ♭7 ♯9
Notes in A♭7♯9
A♭R
C3
E♭5
F♯♭7
B♯9
The A♭7♯9 chord contains 5 notes: A♭, C, E♭, F♯, B
Intervals
| Interval | Semitones | Note | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| R | 0 | A♭ | Root |
| 3 | 4 | C | Major 3rd |
| 5 | 7 | E♭ | Perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | 10 | F♯ | Minor 7th |
| ♯9 | 3 | B | Augmented 9th |
About A♭ 7th Sharp 9 Chords
The 7♯9 chord — the 'Hendrix chord' — combines a dominant 7th with a sharp 9th (enharmonically, a minor 3rd). This creates a crunchy clash between the major 3rd and minor 3rd. Jimi Hendrix's 'Purple Haze' made this voicing iconic, but it appears throughout blues, funk, and jazz.
Compatible Scales & Modes
These scales contain all the notes of A♭7♯9 and can be used for soloing, improvising, and writing melodies over this chord.
A♭ Blues Scale
The 'Hendrix chord' lives in the blues. The ♯9 IS the blue note (minor 3rd over a dominant chord).
A♭ Minor Pentatonic
Playing minor pentatonic over a dominant 7♯9 chord creates the classic Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughan sound.
Half-Whole Diminished Scale from A♭
A jazz approach — contains both the 3rd and ♯9, plus other tensions.