About the D flat nine sharp five chord
The D flat nine sharp five chord is a D flat augmented ninth built from D flat, F, A, C flat, E flat. It sits outside the plain diatonic set, so it is borrowed to add color and tension.
It is also written C sharp nine sharp five , which spells the same notes enharmonically.
Inversions
(root position)
Notes and intervals
| 1 | D flat | Root |
| 2 | F | Major 3rd |
| 3 | A | Augmented 5th |
| 4 | C flat | Minor 7th |
| 5 | E flat | Major 9th |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Other D flat chords
Simpler triads
Suspended
Sixths and sevenths
Extensions
Altered
Functional relationships
These chords are where this one most naturally comes from and resolves to inside a key.
Relative minor
The relative minor uses the same notes and key signature, so it works as a calmer, darker home base.
Parallel minor
The parallel minor keeps the same root note but lowers the third, giving the same key a darker, sadder sound.
Dominant
The dominant is a fifth above the root, and it builds tension that pulls strongly back to this chord.
Subdominant
The subdominant is a fourth above the root (a fifth below), and it usually leads on to the dominant or back home.
Tritone substitution
The tritone substitution is a dominant chord a tritone away that shares the same tension, so it can stand in for this chord and resolve the same way.
