Ways to play Cadd9
Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.
What's in Cadd9
An add9 chord is a major triad with the 9th added (the 2nd, an octave up) and no 7th: Cadd9 is C, E, G, D. Leaving out the 7th is what separates it from C9.
| Note | Formula | Interval from C |
|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | Root |
| E | 3 | Major 3rd |
| G | 5 | Perfect 5th |
| D | 9 | Major 9th |
Brighter than a plain major chord, with a bit of shimmer from the 9th. Acoustic players lean on it because add9 shapes often keep fingers anchored between changes: Cadd9 played x32033 shares its top two notes, D and G, with the G shape 320033.
Keys that use Cadd9
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of C, E, G and D, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.
| Key | Cadd9 is the |
|---|---|
| C major | Iadd9 |
| G major | IVadd9 |
| F major | Vadd9 |
| E minor | VIadd9 |
| A minor | IIIadd9 |
| D minor | VIIadd9 |
Progressions to try
Related chords
Other chords on C: