The 7#9 Chord

The usage of this chord in "Purple Haze" is so iconic that it's destined to be referred to as "The Hendrix Chord" forever.

But what is the 7#9 Chord?

First, let's take a quick look at the most common ways to play this chord, with an E, A, and D string root.

If you play the A root variation starting on the 7th fret, you can incorporate the low and high E strings to support the E root note!

With the E root variation, you can also access the 5th on the B string, but it requires a ring finger barre.

A 7#9 Chord (In other words, a Dominant 7th Chord with an augmented 9th on top), should be built as follows:

1 - 3 - 5 - b7 - #9

But it's easier to understand this chord once you realize that a sharpened 9th is equivalent to a Major 3rd.

So the heart of this chord is really about the clashing Major and Minor 3rds being played along with a Dominant Chord.

We already know that anytime Major and Minor 3rds are being played at the same time the end result is probably going to sound blues-y.

On "Purple Rain", it was used as the Tonic Chord, and that's probably the most common usage.

But, one other neat usage we can try is to use it where we'd normally place a V7 Chord in a Minor Key. This highlights the tension between the raised 7th Scale Degree and it's natural form.

Try incorporating the Hendrix Chord into your next jam session!