A sharp Minor flat sixth flat ninth

The minor flat sixth flat ninth chord layers two high-impact colors, ♭6 and ♭9, onto a minor frame (1-♭3-♭6-♭9 as conceptual core; fifth and seventh may be present or omitted). Its identity is immediate: ♭9 creates close friction against the root, while ♭6 darkens the upper sonority. The result often reads as Spanish-Phrygian, ominous, and cinematic rather than conventionally tonal.

Construction

Core set: 1-♭3-♭6-♭9. In practical voicing, the fifth may be added for support or removed for transparency. Spelling choices should favor readable voice-leading over abstract symmetry.

Sound Character

This chord blends minor warmth with compressed chromatic tension. Compared with ordinary minor extensions, it sounds denser, more dangerous, and more directional, even when held statically.

Usage

Best used on static minor vamps, Phrygian-adjacent passages, and cinematic pads where unresolved pressure is the goal. It is typically a color sonority, not a default diatonic function chord.

Examples

• Latin/flamenco-influenced progressions with dark modal gravity