How to Play a C#add9 Chord on Guitar – Easy C# Major Ninth Added Guitar Chord

Searching for plain Cadd9, without the sharp? It has its own page: Cadd9.

C#add9 is the C# add nine chord: root C#, major third E#, fifth G# and ninth D#. The distance from the root to the ninth is fourteen semitones, a major second plus an octave.

For a simpler, more open sound, the C# major pentatonic scale holds every chord tone and skips the fourth and seventh of the major scale. Because there is no seventh, add9 is not a dominant ninth or a major ninth: it keeps the major triad and adds a single note. Its spelling includes E#, so you will often see the chord written as Dbadd9 instead. New to chords? Start with the first ten guitar chords before adding extra notes like this.

C# added 9th guitar chord is also written as C#add9, C#(add9), C#add2 or C#maj(add9).

C#add9 Chord Notes and Formula

Notes of the C# add9 chord:

C# E# G# D#

How to create the Major Ninth Added chord:

Formula: 1 3 5 9

Same chord, different name: C#add9 is also written as Dbadd9 (Db add nine).

C#add9 Chord Interactive Fretboard

Want a structured chord roadmap instead of jumping between pages?
Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

C#add9 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Movable

C# Add Nine Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the B string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the high E string

Position 2 Barre Movable

C# Add Nine Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the G and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the A string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the B string

Position 3 Movable

C# Add Nine Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the G string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the high E string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the B string

Position 4 Barre Movable Slash Chord

C#add9 position 4 guitar chord diagram (C#add9/D# slash chord)

C#/D# Add Nine Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the A, D, G and B strings at the same time

The lowest note is D#, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord C#add9/D#.

Position 5 Barre Movable

C# Add Nine Finger Positions

Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the low E string

Position 6 Movable

C# Add Nine Finger Positions

Mute the D string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the low E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the B string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Chords That Go With C#add9

One key where C#add9 fits is C# major, where it works as the I chord. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:

I · C# ii · D#m IV · F# V · G# vi · A#m

See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.

More C# Chords

C# C#m C#7 C#m7 C#maj7 C#sus4 C#sus2 C#dim C#9 C#6 C#aug C#m6 C#7sus4 C#dim7

Want to know how this chord is built? Read ninth and add9 chords explained, or browse all C# guitar chords.

Play This Chord With Other Roots

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In the ebook you can also find maps show you the tones in a chord all along the fretboard. They are incredibly helpful because allow you to:

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

Which notes does C# add nine contain?

C# add nine contains C#, E#, G# and D#: root, major third, perfect fifth and ninth. The D# is an octave and a whole step up from C#.

Is C#add9 the same chord as Dbadd9?

They sound the same. C#add9 is spelled C#, E#, G#, D#, and Dbadd9 is spelled Db, F, Ab, Eb, which avoids the E#.

What does the 9 in C# add nine do to a C# major triad?

It adds D#, the second note of the C# major scale placed an octave higher. The chord stays a major triad with one extra note and no seventh.

Which scale fits over C#add9?

The C# major scale: C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B#. It contains all four notes of the chord.