Chord
B♭ 7 Flat 9 Chord
Interactive keyboard
Highlighted notes form this chord.
Notes
B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C♭
Root: B♭
Intervals
1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♭9
How it is built
This chord starts on B♭ and applies the intervals 1, 3, 5, ♭7, ♭9. The result contains 5 distinct pitch classes per octave.
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Guide and musical context
About B♭ 7 Flat 9 Chord
B♭ 7 Flat 9 Chord contains B♭, D, F, A♭, C♭. Its sound is highly tense, with an expressive semitone between root and flat ninth.
Character and sound
Highly tense, with an expressive semitone between root and flat ninth.
Musical context and history
The flat-nine dominant is especially important in minor keys and in jazz, flamenco and chromatic harmony. The flat ninth intensifies the need to resolve.
How and where it is used
It is common on V in minor and on altered secondary dominants.
In Theory view you can hear the pitch collection without depending on a specific fingering. Then switch to Piano, Guitar, Ukulele or Mandolin to see how the same notes are physically distributed on each instrument.
Harmonic and musical relationships
As a dominant sonority on B♭, a common functional resolution moves toward E♭. Alterations and extensions change the color while preserving that tension-and-resolution reference.
The formula on this page is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♭9 and, from B♭, produces the notes B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C♭.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B♭ 7 Flat 9 Chord?
The notes are B♭, D, F, A♭, C♭.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♭9.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Highly tense, with an expressive semitone between root and flat ninth. It is common on V in minor and on altered secondary dominants.
Can I view it on a specific instrument?
Yes. Use the selector near the top to switch between Piano, Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin without changing the musical combination you are studying.