A add9 (Aadd9) chord on mandolin

Looking for the Aadd9 chord on mandolin? It is an add9 chord (a major triad plus a major ninth, no seventh), made of four notes: A – C♯ – E – B.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 4medium

Position 9easy

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

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 7, little finger (B5)
String 2 (A): fret 7, ring finger (E5)
String 3 (D): fret 7, middle finger (A4)
String 4 (G): fret 6, index finger (C♯4)

Position 4

String 1 (E): fret 5, ring finger (A5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, middle finger (C♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)

Position 9

String 1 (E): fret 9, ring finger (C♯6)
String 2 (A): open (A4)
String 3 (D): fret 9, middle finger (B4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, index finger (E4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

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

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 mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Position 9”, rated easy. We show 3 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 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.