Chord

D 7 Sharp 9 Chord

DF♯ACE♯
View on: Theory PianoGuitarUkuleleMandolin

Interactive keyboard

Highlighted notes form this chord.

Notes

D · F♯ · A · C · E♯

Root: D

Intervals

1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9

How it is built

This chord starts on D 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 D 7 Sharp 9 Chord

D 7 Sharp 9 Chord contains D, F♯, A, C, E♯. Its sound is aggressive and ambiguous because the major third coexists with a sharp ninth, enharmonically a minor third.

Character and sound

Aggressive and ambiguous because the major third coexists with a sharp ninth, enharmonically a minor third.

Musical context and history

The sharp-nine dominant is a recognizable color in blues, rock, funk and jazz, where major- and minor-derived tensions coexist.

How and where it is used

It is used for strongly colored dominants and riffs where the third–sharp-nine friction is part of the sound.

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 D, a common functional resolution moves toward G. 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 D, produces the notes D · F♯ · A · C · E♯.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the D 7 Sharp 9 Chord?

The notes are D, F♯, A, C, E♯.

What is its interval formula?

The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9.

How does it sound and what is it used for?

Aggressive and ambiguous because the major third coexists with a sharp ninth, enharmonically a minor third. It is used for strongly colored dominants and riffs where the third–sharp-nine friction is part of the sound.

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.