C add9 (Cadd9) chord on guitar

The C add9 chord (Cadd9) is an add9 chord (a major triad plus a major ninth, no seventh), made of four notes: C – E – G – D.

Dots show:

Open positionmedium

Barre, fret 5hard

Position 7medium

Position 8medium

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 Cadd9 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 Cadd9 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): fret 3, little finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 3, ring finger (D4)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, middle finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

Barre, fret 5, barre at fret 5

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): fret 5, index finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 5, index finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 5, index finger (D3)
String 6 (E): fret 8, little finger (C3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 5; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 7, barre at fret 7

String 1 (e): fret 8, ring finger (C5)
String 2 (B): fret 8, ring finger (G4)
String 3 (G): fret 7, index finger (D4)
String 4 (D): fret 10, little finger (C4)
String 5 (A): fret 7, index finger (E3)
String 6 (E): fret 8, middle finger (C3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 7; your other fingers press the higher frets.

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 Cadd9 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Cadd9 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 3
shape: Aadd9

Capo: fret 5
shape: Gadd9

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Cadd9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

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

Similar chords and substitutes

If Cadd9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Am – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Em – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Cmaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Csus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Simpler versions

C – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Csus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
C5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

C9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Cmaj9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
C11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
C13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Cadd9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Cadd9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Aadd9 shape at fret 3 or a Gadd9 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 Cadd9 shapes?

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

How is the Cadd9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Cadd9, and its full name is C add9.