B add9 (Badd9) chord on banjo

The B add9 chord (Badd9) is an add9 chord (a major triad plus a major ninth, no seventh), made of four notes: B – D♯ – F♯ – C♯.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 8medium

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What the Badd9 chord sounds like

An add9 chord is a major triad with an added ninth and no seventh. It sounds bright and shimmering – a favourite colour in acoustic pop.

Notes of the Badd9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B	root
3	D♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	F♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
9	C♯	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 1, index finger (D♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, middle finger (C♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, little finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, little finger (F♯3)

Position 8

String 1 (D): fret 11, little finger (C♯5)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 8, index finger (D♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 9, middle finger (B3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Badd9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B major: Iadd9 (tonic)
E major: Vadd9 (dominant)
F♯ major: IVadd9 (subdominant)
C♯ minor: VIIadd9
G♯ minor: IIIadd9
D♯ minor: VIadd9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Badd9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A♭m – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
E♭m – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Bmaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Bsus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Simpler versions

B – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Bsus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

B9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Bmaj9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
B13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Badd9 chord?

B, D♯, F♯, C♯. The root is B; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major second.

What is the easiest way to play Badd9 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 2 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some Badd9 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (F♯) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.