Guitar UpscaleAdd9 Chord on guitar
An add9 chord adds the ninth to a major triad without a seventh, a bright, ringing pop and rock chord.
| Written as | Cadd9 |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 3 5 9 |
| Notes in C | C E G D |
| Semitones from the root | 0, 4, 7, 14 |
About the Add9 Chord
Cadd9 is C, E, G and D.
Without a 7th it stays simple but gains sparkle. Cadd9 (x32033) is one of the most used open chords in pop and acoustic rock.
Unlike sus2, it keeps the 3rd, so it stays clearly major.
Intervals
- 1: Root, 0 semitones above the root
- 3: Major 3rd, 4 semitones above the root
- 5: Perfect 5th, 7 semitones above the root
- 9: 9th, 14 semitones above the root
Add9 Chord charts in all 12 keys
Each chart shows the strings from the thick low E on the left to the thin high e on the right. Numbers in the dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little, T thumb. × marks a muted string and ○ an open one. A bar across strings is a barre.
Cadd9: C E G D
Gadd9: G B D A
Dadd9: D F# A E
Aadd9: A C# E B
Eadd9: E G# B F#
Badd9: B D# F# C#
F#add9: F# A# C# G#
Dbadd9: Db F Ab Eb
Abadd9: Ab C Eb Bb
Ebadd9: Eb G Bb F
Bbadd9: Bb D F C
Fadd9: F A C G
Scales to play over Cadd9
Each of these scales, started on C, holds every note of the chord:
- C Lydian Minor
- C Major Scale (Ionian)
- C Harmonic Major
- C Major Pentatonic
- C Dominant Pentatonic
- C Lydian Mode
- C Mixolydian Mode
- C Ichikosucho
- C Taishikicho
- C Hindu (Mixolydian b6)
- C Major Blues Scale
- C Bebop Major
- C Bebop Minor (Bebop Dorian)
- C Bebop Dominant
- C Nine Tone Scale
- C Overtone (Lydian Dominant)