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Chord · Reference entry

B 7♭9♯11

7♭9♯11 · B – D♯ – F♯ – A – C – E♯ · intervals P1-M3-P5-m7-m9-A11

The B 7♭9♯11 chord (B7♭9♯11) contains the notes B, D♯, F♯, A, C, and E♯. Its interval formula is R-M3-P5-m7-m9-A11. A dominant 7th with a flatted 9th and raised 11th — densely altered, used as a tritone sub in jazz.

At the keyboard

B · D# · F# · A · C · E#
Flashcards · Chord
Three questions on B 7♭9♯11
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B7♭9♯11

The B 7♭9♯11 chord is a six-note chord made up of B, D♯, F♯, A, C, and E♯. It is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, minor ninth, and augmented eleventh.

Construction

B 7♭9♯11 = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th + Minor 2nd + Diminished 5th = B · D♯ · F♯ · A · C · E♯
NoteIntervalDegree
BRoot1
D♯Major 3rd3
F♯Perfect 5th5
AMinor 7th♭7
CMinor 2nd♭9
E♯Diminished 5th♭5

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B 7♭9♯11 is the tonic (I) chord of B Major, whose key signature has 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

FCGDAEB

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of B Major

These are the triads built on each degree of the B major scale:

C1C2C3C4BC5C6C7C8D♯F♯
IB Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IB MajorMajor
2iiC♯ MinorMinor
3iiiD♯ MinorMinor
4IVE MajorMajor
5VF♯ MajorMajor
6viG♯ MinorMinor
7vii°A♯ DiminishedDiminished

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes B – D♯ – F♯ – A – C – E♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

B 7♭9♯11 — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the B 7♭9♯11 chord on piano?
The B 7♭9♯11 chord contains the notes B – D♯ – F♯ – A – C – E♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the B 7♭9♯11 chord?
The B 7♭9♯11 chord (B7♭9♯11) contains 6 notes: B, D#, F#, A, C, F. Formula: R-M3-P5-m7-m9-A11.
How is B7♭9♯11 used in music?
B7♭9♯11 is used in jazz, fusion, and contemporary music to add harmonic color. It appears as a dominant or tonic chord depending on context.
What is the scale degree formula for B7♭9♯11?
B7♭9♯11 uses scale degrees 1-3-5-b7-b9-#11, giving it its distinctive sound.

Related Tools

Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this chord page are grounded in the following sources. Public domain treatises and scores are linked to their full text; primary data is piano.org's own interval-derived reference dataset — continuously maintained and human-verified, with no fixed publication date.

  1. 1

    Prout, Ebenezer(1889)

    Harmony: Its Theory and Practice

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Goetschius, Percy(1889)

    The Material Used in Musical Composition

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Riemann, Hugo(1896)

    Harmony Simplified (English translation)

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

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Entry reviewed and maintained by Justin Evans. Corrections are read and applied.Report an error

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