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Chord · Eb Dominant 7♯9 (Hendrix)

E79 Chord

E79 is Eb, G, Bb, Db and F#the Hendrix chord. Bluesy and aggressive.

Hear it

E79 on every instrument

The same 5 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

11fr131214EADGBE
Guitar1 voicing
CDEFGAB
Piano4 voicings

What E79 is made of

Eb Dominant 7♯9 (Hendrix) (Eb dominant 7♯9 (hendrix)) is built from the notes Eb, G, Bb, Db, F#, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7, #9. A common dominant 7♯9 (hendrix) chord across many styles.

Stack 1, 3, 5, b7 and #9 on a root of E and you get Eb, G, Bb, Db and F#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a seventh sharp nine chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C79 sounds like a transposed E79.

Dominant 7♯9 (Hendrix): The Hendrix chord. Bluesy and aggressive.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with E rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain E79

No major or natural-minor key contains all 5 of these notes — this one gets borrowed.

Chords like this one sit outside the diatonic set — they arrive as secondary dominants, borrowed chords or passing harmony. Browse every key to see which progressions pull it in.

Other chords on E

Same root, different colour.

The same seventh sharp nine shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

Questions people ask about Eb7#9

What notes are in the Eb7#9 chord?
Eb7#9 is made of Eb, G, Bb, Db and F# — the 1, 3, 5, b7 and #9 degrees of a seventh sharp nine chord built on Eb.
What keys use the Eb7#9 chord?
No major or natural-minor key contains all 5 notes of Eb7#9. Chords like this arrive as borrowed harmony — secondary dominants, harmonic-minor colour, or chromatic passing chords — rather than as one of a key's native chords.
How do you play Eb7#9 on guitar and piano?
This page shows Eb7#9 on guitar and piano — 5 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Is Eb7#9 the same as D#7#9?
Yes. Eb7#9 and D#7#9 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Eb7#9 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why E79 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineWhat a seventh chord is for — tension, resolution, and the seat it takes in the key.6 min readThe 12-Bar Blues — Three Chords, A Century of HitsSeventh chords are the whole sound of the blues. Twelve bars is where to hear it.7 min read