Play Cadd93 shapes
Choose a root note
17 diagrams · 17 playable
Play C#add93 shapes
Play Dbadd93 shapes
Play Dadd93 shapes
Play D#add93 shapes
Play Ebadd93 shapes
Play Eadd93 shapes
Play Fadd93 shapes
Play F#add93 shapes
Play Gbadd93 shapes
Play Gadd93 shapes
Play G#add93 shapes
Play Abadd93 shapes
Play Aadd93 shapes
Play A#add93 shapes
Play Bbadd93 shapes
Play Badd93 shapes
Anatomy
Add9 Chord Formula
The 4 scale degrees that form every add9 chord — in any key.
I
Root0 st
III
Major 3rd+4 st
V
Perfect 5th+7 st
IX
Major 9th+14 st
An add9 chord is a plain major triad with the 9th stacked on top — and, crucially, no 7th. The 9th is the same note as the 2nd, raised an octave: adding it without the 7th keeps the bright, open sound of the major chord while sprinkling a shimmering, slightly unresolved colour on top. That "add" in the name is the giveaway — it means the 9th is added directly to the triad, skipping the 7th that a true 9th chord would include.
Applied to C: C (root) – E (major 3rd) – G (perfect 5th) – D (9th). Applied to G: G – B – D – A. Applied to E: E – G# – B – F#.
About this tool
About Add9 Chords on Guitar
The add9 chord is one of the easiest ways to make a plain major chord sound richer and more modern. It is built by taking a major triad and adding the 9th (the 2nd, an octave up) — without the 7th that a full ninth chord would require. The result is a bright, ringing, slightly dreamy sound that has become a staple of pop, rock, folk, and worship music. The open Cadd9 and Gadd9 shapes in particular are everywhere in acoustic guitar — the G → Cadd9 move is one of the most-played transitions in all of strumming. Because the chord keeps the major 3rd, it stays firmly "happy," but the added 9th lends it an airy, unresolved shimmer that a straight major chord lacks.
- 01Built from 4 notes: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, major 9th (formula 1 – 3 – 5 – 9)
- 02Bright, open, shimmering sound — a major chord with an extra sparkle
- 03Contains no 7th — this is what separates "add9" from a true "9" chord (which stacks the ♭7 underneath the 9th)
- 04Cadd9 (x32033) and Gadd9 are open-string staples of acoustic, folk, and worship guitar
- 05The G → Cadd9 transition is one of the most common moves in strumming — the two shapes share fingers
- 06Written with "add9" after the root letter: Cadd9, Gadd9, Dadd9 — never just "C9"
- 07Distinct from C9 (a dominant 9th: 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9) and Cadd2 (the same notes named from the 2nd rather than the 9th)
Questions