Chord Shapes

Dominant 9th Flat 5

Intervals: 1-3-b5-b7-9. A dominant 7b5 with an added 9th. The 9th brings spaciousness while the b5 undermines the chord’s stability, making this useful for transitional dominants, particularly in chromatic progressions or as V of a minor or modal target. It is sonically halfway between an unaltered 9th chord and more extreme altered dominants, and it often appears in arrangements that emphasise symmetrical or lydian dominant colours. Voicings typically feature 3-b5-b7-9 with or without the root.