Chord Colors

A sharp nine chord

Inversions

5fr 6fr 12fr

(root position)

Notes and intervals

1 A sharp Root
2 C double sharp Major 3rd
3 E sharp Perfect 5th
4 G sharp Minor 7th
5 B sharp Major 9th

About the A sharp nine chord

The A sharp nine chord is a A sharp dominant ninth built from A sharp, C double sharp, E sharp, G sharp, B sharp. It sits outside the plain diatonic set, so it is borrowed to add color and tension. Tap the keys or frets above to hear each note, or press Play chord to hear them together.

It is also written B flat nine , which spells the same notes enharmonically.

Other A sharp chords

Simpler triads

A sharp A sharp minor A sharp diminished A sharp augmented

Suspended

A sharp suspended two A sharp suspended four A sharp seven suspended four

Sixths and sevenths

A sharp six A sharp minor six A sharp seven A sharp major seven A sharp minor seven A sharp minor seven flat five A sharp diminished seven A sharp minor major seven

Extensions

A sharp add nine A sharp major nine A sharp minor nine A sharp eleven A sharp thirteen A sharp six over nine A sharp minor add nine

Altered

A sharp seven sharp five

Functional relationships

These chords are where this one most naturally comes from and resolves to inside a key.

Relative minor G minor

The relative minor uses the same notes and key signature, so it works as a calmer, darker home base.

Parallel minor A sharp minor

The parallel minor keeps the same root note but lowers the third, giving the same key a darker, sadder sound.

Dominant F

The dominant is a fifth above the root, and it builds tension that pulls strongly back to this chord.

Subdominant D sharp

The subdominant is a fourth above the root (a fifth below), and it usually leads on to the dominant or back home.

Tritone substitution E nine

The tritone substitution is a dominant chord a tritone away that shares the same tension, so it can stand in for this chord and resolve the same way.

What do the colors mean?

Every note has its own fixed color, laid out around the circle of fifths. Once you know the colors, chords and scales turn into patterns you can recognize at a glance.

There is so much more to explore

Play any chord or scale, transpose it, and watch it move around the color wheel in the free Chord Colors app.

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