Sixths & added
C added 9th chord
A major triad with extra sparkle from the added 9th.
- Notes
- CEGD
- Formula
- 1359
- Built from
- root · major 3rd · perfect 5th · major 9th
How to play Cadd9
About the C added 9th chord
Cadd9 is a favorite of acoustic guitarists because it shares its top-string anchor with G: with the ring finger and pinky kept on the 3rd fret of the B and high E strings, only two fingers move between G (320033) and Cadd9 (x32033).
Playing it
On guitar, Cadd9 is one of the friendlier shapes: x30010 needs just two fingers and lets the open strings ring. Don’t strum the low E string.
On piano, Cadd9 sits entirely on white keys. In root position it spans more than an octave, so many pianists play the root with the left hand and the rest with the right.
On ukulele the usual Cadd9 shape is 0203, using two fingers.
