Explore F7b9 Guitar Chord Shapes on the Fretboard
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Built on F, the F7(b9) chord (F seventh flat nine) combines a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a flat ninth, which gives F, A, C, Eb and Gb. The flat ninth lies a half step above the root, one octave up, and that close interval is where the sharp edge of this chord comes from.
Six voicings in total, from fret 1 to fret 11, and four of them are barre shapes. For melodies, reach for the F Phrygian Dominant scale: it is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale, and it holds all five chord tones.
The fretboard at the top labels every note of each shape, so you can see where F, A and Gb fall.
F 7th with flat 9th guitar chord is also written as F7(b9), F7b9 or F7-9.
Notes of the F 7(b9) chord:
How the Dominant Seventh Flat Nine Added chord is built:
Formula: 1 3 5 b7 b9
F 7(B9) Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the low E, D and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 2 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 2 of the G and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the B string
Position 3 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the D and B 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
Position 4 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the D and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the high E string
Position 5 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the B string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the high E string
Position 6 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Mute the B string
- 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 2 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 2 of the high E string
Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes make up F7(b9)?
F, A, C, Eb and Gb. The Gb is the flat ninth, a half step higher than F one octave up, and the other four notes form an F seventh chord.
What is the difference between F7(b9) and F7?
F7 contains F, A, C and Eb. F7(b9) adds Gb, a half step higher than the root one octave up. That extra note sharpens the tension of the dominant sound.
Which scale matches the F seventh flat nine chord?
The F Phrygian Dominant scale, spelled F, Gb, A, Bb, C, Db and Eb, contains all five chord tones. It is the fifth mode of harmonic minor.
How many voicings does F7(b9) have?
Six voicings are listed, from the first fret to the eleventh fret. Four of them are barre voicings, and none of them uses open strings.
Where does F7(b9) usually resolve?
A dominant seventh tends to resolve up a fourth, so F7(b9) leads to Bb. With the flat ninth, Bb minor is the natural target.
