Chords
E7#9
The Hendrix chord.
E G# B D G · 1 3 5 ♭7 #9
E1
G♯3
B5
D♭7
G#9
E7#9 — famously the 'Hendrix chord' — packs a major and a minor third into one dominant voicing, giving it that gritty, funky bite.
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Every voicing on the neck
The idea
A dominant 7 with a #9
E7#9 is a dominant E7 (E G# B D) plus a sharp 9th — which sounds like a minor 3rd (G) stacked on top. Major 3rd below, minor 3rd on top: that clash is the sound.
- It combines the major 3 (G#) and the ♭3/#9 (G).
- That major/minor collision gives it the funky bite.
- Built on a dominant 7 — it still wants to resolve.
Where it lives
Funk, blues and rock
From Purple Haze to funk rhythm parts, E7#9 is a color chord for grit and attitude. Use it as a dominant that sounds dirtier than a plain 7.
- Use it anywhere a plain 7 chord feels too clean.
- A staple of funk and blues rhythm.
- Slide it up and down the neck as a movable shape.
Stack a minor 3rd on top of a major chord and you get the gritty, unmistakable Hendrix sound.
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