Scale degrees · E major
The ♭9 of E is F
The ♭9 (flat nine, written b9) of E is F: a minor ninth above the root.
E — the root, 1F — the ♭9
How to find it
A 9th is a 2nd an octave up, so it takes the 2nd's letter: E, F.
Then the sound: a minor ninth is 13 semitones above E, which is exactly where F is — no sharp or flat needed.
Where you meet it
The ♭9 is the first altered tension on a dominant chord. It is the ♭2 an octave up, written as a 9 because it sits above the chord.
In E7♭9:
E · G♯ · B · D · F
The ♭9 in every key
| Key | The ♭9 |
|---|---|
| C | D♭ |
| G | A♭ |
| D | E♭ |
| A | B♭ |
| E | F |
| B | C |
| F♯ | G |
| D♭ | E𝄫 |
| A♭ | B𝄫 |
| E♭ | F♭ |
| B♭ | C♭ |
| F | G♭ |
Every degree of E
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