Ways to play Gadd9
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 Gadd9
An add9 chord is a major triad with the 9th added (the 2nd, an octave up) and no 7th: Gadd9 is G, B, D, A. Leaving out the 7th is what separates it from G9.
| Note | Formula | Interval from G |
|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Root |
| B | 3 | Major 3rd |
| D | 5 | Perfect 5th |
| A | 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 Gadd9
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of G, B, D and A, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.
| Key | Gadd9 is the |
|---|---|
| G major | Iadd9 |
| D major | IVadd9 |
| C major | Vadd9 |
| B minor | VIadd9 |
| E minor | IIIadd9 |
| A minor | VIIadd9 |
Progressions to try
Related chords
Other chords on G: