E add9 (Eadd9) chord on ukulele

Add9 chord (a major triad plus a major ninth, no seventh) on E: the notes of the Eadd9 chord are E – G♯ – B – F♯.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 4medium

Position 7medium

Position 11easy

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

Basic shape

String 1 (A): fret 2, ring finger (B4)
String 2 (E): fret 2, middle finger (F♯4)
String 3 (C): fret 4, little finger (E4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯4)

Position 4

String 1 (A): fret 7, little finger (E5)
String 2 (E): fret 4, middle finger (G♯4)
String 3 (C): fret 6, ring finger (F♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (B4)

Position 7

String 1 (A): fret 9, little finger (F♯5)
String 2 (E): fret 7, index finger (B4)
String 3 (C): fret 8, middle finger (G♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, ring finger (E5)

Tuning: G C E A (the G string is higher than the C – standard re-entrant ukulele tuning). In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

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

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 ukulele?

The easiest shape above is “Position 11”, rated easy. We show 4 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 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.