The Phrygian Susb9 Chord
This lesson will focus on a particular chord voicing that really brings out the sound of the Phrygian mode. The chord we will be looking at in this lesson is the susb9 chord.
The susb9 chord has a dark and mysterious sound to it and can sound really beautiful when played in the right context. Although it is not a sound you will hear too often, it is a sound you should definitely get to know at some stage.
The notes of the susb9 chord are:
1 4 6 b7 b9
You can voice the susb9 chord in different ways and you might need to alter the voicing to suit your instrument. Piano and guitar players will probably want to use different voicings for the susb9 chord.
The main function of the subb9 chord is to bring out the sound of the Phrygian mode, but it can also be used as an interesting and unusual chord substitution.
You can add the fifth to the chord, but I would tend to leave it out. Other voicings for the susb9 chord are:
1-b9-4-5-b7
1 4 5 6 b7 b9
I love the sound of the susb9 chord, and I hope you find a place for it in your own music.
9 Responses to “The Phrygian Susb9 Chord”
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Amazing new chord
. Thanks for publishing it here.
A favorite of mine, but I had always taught it was called a Sus 13 -9, was that wrong?
Hi Mike. It is an wonderful chord and really brings out the dark sound of the phrygian mode. I believe the sus13b9 chord is a variation of this phrygian chord and you are not wrong to refer to it like that although I always refer to it as simply susb9. It is the ambiguous lack of a 3rd and that dark b9 interval that really give this chord it’s interesting sound.
How exactly would you use this chord? I actually just learned a song that uses it a few days ago, but am unsure of exactly how it would function as a substitution.
Hi Danny. I would typically use it as an interesting substitution for the III chord in a major scale. It really brings out the sound of the phrygian mode.
Thank you very much. I’ll try that. I recently saw it on the V chord. Is that at all common? Sorry for all the questions. I’m just very excited about finding this site.
Yeah you can indeed use it as a 5 chord. I would treat it kind of like a V7b9 chord and play harmonic minor mode 5 over it. (Phrygian dominant scale)
Feel free to ask any questions. Glad you like the site Danny.
Thank you for your help Owain. I’ll be sure to keep the questions coming as I tend to have quite a few.
Why exactly is it called a Phrygian susb9 and would it still be called that if played as a V chord? I understand that the Phrygian mode correlates to the third degree of the scale and that it’s distinguishing interval is the b9, but I’m just wondering how all the dots connect when it is used in different situations. Thanks again.
Hi Danny.
The chord is called susb9 because it’s a sus chord with a b9. The lack of major or minor third makes it a suspended chord and the added flat 9 outlines the dark sound of the phyrgian mode. Technically it’s just called a susb9.
It would be called a susb9 in whatever situation even if used as a V chord although I would “think” of it as a V7b9 chord to make things easier when soloing.
Hope that helps Danny.
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