G sharp Dominant seventh sharp fifth sharp ninth

The 7♯5♯9 dominant is a classic high-energy altered dominant. It combines augmented brightness (♯5) with biting upper tension (♯9), producing a chord that sounds urgent, raw, and highly directional. This sonority is a staple when dominant motion needs maximum expressive pressure.

Construction

Practical formula: 1-3-♯5-♭7-♯9. In C: C-E-G♯-B♭-D♯. The dominant identity remains anchored by 3 and ♭7, while ♯5 and ♯9 provide altered color intensity.

Usage

Common in jazz, fusion, blues-jazz language, and dramatic cinematic turns. Use it before strong cadential arrivals or as a high-impact turnaround dominant where tension needs to be unmistakable.

Examples

• Altered V before emphatic tonic resolution
• Turnaround hits in modern jazz/fusion
• Expressive dominant spikes in film harmony

Play

Keep guide tones grounded, then articulate ♯5 and ♯9 with enough spacing to avoid blur. Chromatic semitone resolution from one altered tone often creates the most satisfying release.

Ear-training cues

Compared with 7♯5, this sounds hotter and more vocal in the top layer. Compared with 7♯9, it has a sharper, brighter core due to ♯5.