A add9 (Aadd9) chord on guitar

Add9 chord (a major triad plus a major ninth, no seventh) on A: the notes of the Aadd9 chord are A – C♯ – E – B.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

Position 2medium

Position 4easy

Position 5medium

Position 11medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Aadd9 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 Aadd9 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, middle finger (C♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, little finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): not played

Position 2, barre at fret 2

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 4, ring finger (C♯3)
String 6 (E): fret 5, little finger (A2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 2; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 4

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 4, middle finger (B3)
String 4 (D): not played
String 5 (A): fret 4, index finger (C♯3)
String 6 (E): fret 5, ring finger (A2)

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Aadd9 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Aadd9 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 2
shape: Gadd9

Capo: fret 5
shape: Eadd9

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Aadd9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

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

Similar chords and substitutes

If Aadd9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F♯m – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
C♯m – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Amaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Asus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Simpler versions

A – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Asus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
A5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

A9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Amaj9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
A11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
A13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Aadd9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Aadd9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 5 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Gadd9 shape at fret 2 or a Eadd9 shape at fret 5.

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 Aadd9 shapes?

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

How is the Aadd9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Aadd9, and its full name is A add9.