About the C♯add9 chord
An add9 is a major chord with the ninth added and no seventh. It is bright and shimmering, and a favourite in pop and acoustic playing. The symbol for it is C♯add9. (also written D♭add9)
How to play C♯add9
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 4 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the A string at fret 4.
- Strum and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of C♯ major
These are the chords built on each note of the C♯ major scale, so they all sound good together with C♯add9. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other C♯ chords
C♯add9 chord questions
What notes are in a C♯add9 chord?
C♯add9 is made of C♯, E♯, G♯ and D♯. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, 9 above the root, C♯.
What is the easiest way to play C♯add9?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 4 1 1 2 1 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is C♯add9 a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.