C7b9 Dominant 7th

The C7b9 chord is built from the notes C – E – G – Bb – Db.

Piano sound loads on first tap.

Also known as

C13addb9b13C7-alt7b9C7addb9

Chord tones, one by one

CRoot

Root

The fundamental note the chord is built on — C.

EThird

Major third

Four semitones — makes the chord major (brighter, happier).

GFifth

Perfect fifth

Seven semitones — the most stable interval, reinforces the root.

BbSeventh

Minor seventh (♭7)

Ten semitones — the dominant/minor seventh. Adds bluesy tension (7, m7).

DbExtension

Flat ninth (♭9)

A ♭9 — sharp, dissonant tension typical of altered dominant chords.

🎼 Related scales

🎹 Modal analysis

This chord implies the Half-whole diminished scale; its characteristic note is the ♭9 / ♭2.

🎸 Genres

Bebop jazz · Hard bop · Gypsy jazz

7b9 in every key

More C chords

More C chords from Half-whole diminished