Play Cadd93 shapes
Choose a root note
12 diagrams · 12 playable
Play C#add93 shapes
Play Dadd93 shapes
Play D#add93 shapes
Play Eadd93 shapes
Play Fadd93 shapes
Play F#add93 shapes
Play Gadd93 shapes
Play G#add93 shapes
Play Aadd93 shapes
Play A#add93 shapes
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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
Frequently Asked Questions
An add9 chord is a major triad with the 9th added on top and no 7th. For example, Cadd9 contains C, E, G, and D. It sounds like a brighter, more open version of a regular major chord.
An add9 chord (e.g. Cadd9) is a major triad plus the 9th — 1, 3, 5, 9 — with no 7th. A 9 chord (e.g. C9) is a dominant 7th chord with the 9th stacked on top — 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9. The "add" tells you the 7th is left out, so add9 sounds open and bright while a 9 chord sounds jazzier and more tense.
There are 12 add9 chords — one for each note in the chromatic scale: Cadd9, C#add9/Dbadd9, Dadd9, D#add9/Ebadd9, Eadd9, Fadd9, F#add9/Gbadd9, Gadd9, G#add9/Abadd9, Aadd9, A#add9/Bbadd9, and Badd9.
Cadd9 (x32033) shares its bottom two fretted notes with the popular 2-finger open G chord, so the G → Cadd9 change is fast and smooth. That, plus its bright, ringing sound, makes Cadd9 one of the most-used chords in acoustic, folk, pop, and worship guitar.
The add9 formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – 9: root, major third, perfect fifth, and the 9th (the 2nd raised an octave). Applied to C: C (1), E (3), G (5), D (9).
They contain the same four notes, but the names imply different voicings. "Add9" usually means the added note sits a 9th (an octave-plus-a-step) above the root, while "add2" means it sits right next to the root within the same octave. In practice the two terms are often used interchangeably.
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