E add9 (Eadd9) chord on guitar

Looking for the Eadd9 chord on guitar? It is an add9 chord (a major triad plus a major ninth, no seventh), made of four notes: E – G♯ – B – F♯.

Dots show:

Open positionmedium

Open positioneasy

Position 6medium

Position 11medium

Position 12medium

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 Eadd9 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 Eadd9 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, little finger (F♯3)
String 5 (A): fret 2, middle finger (B2)
String 6 (E): open (E2)

Open position

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

Open position

String 1 (e): fret 4, ring finger (G♯4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 4, middle finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): open (E2)

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 Eadd9 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Eadd9 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 4
shape: Cadd9

Capo: fret 7
shape: Aadd9

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Eadd9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

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

Similar chords and substitutes

If Eadd9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C♯m – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
A♭m – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Emaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Esus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Simpler versions

E – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Esus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
E5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

E9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Emaj9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
E11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
E13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Eadd9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Eadd9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Cadd9 shape at fret 4 or a Aadd9 shape at fret 7.

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 Eadd9 shapes?

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

How is the Eadd9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Eadd9, and its full name is E add9.