As the tonic (I)B major
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Badd9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Badd9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note B. Its notes are B, D♯, F♯ and C♯.
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Short answer
Added ninth chords are open and shimmering. Unlike a ninth chord they leave the seventh out, so the added second degree colours the triad without any of the tension a dominant brings, a favourite of pop and worship guitarists.
- Notes
- B · D♯ · F♯ · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 14
- Note
- B
- Quality
- Added 9
- Symbol
- Badd9
Badd9 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Badd9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B, index finger on C♯, middle finger on D♯ and little finger on F♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯, F♯ and C♯ are black keys and B is white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B1
- C♯9
- D♯3
- F♯5
Badd9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Badd9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Don't play string 6.
B · D♯ · F♯ · C♯
Try Badd9 on the virtual piano
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Badd9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D♯(D#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F♯(F#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C♯(C#) |
How to use the Badd9 chord
The Badd9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, D♯, F♯ and C♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Added ninth chords replace plain major chords when a part needs air, especially in fingerpicked guitar and piano pads. They are everywhere in pop ballads, worship music and indie rock.
How Badd9 differs from similar chords
Badd9 adds a ninth to B and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from B9 and Bmaj9. Unlike Bsus2, it keeps the major third, so it stays clearly major. The ninth is the same note as the second, only an octave higher.
Where Badd9 is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the Badd9 chord?
- The Badd9 chord contains B, D♯, F♯ and C♯ (B, D#, F# and C# in plain text).
- Is the Badd9 chord major or minor?
- Badd9 is a added ninth chord. Added ninth chords are open and shimmering. Unlike a ninth chord they leave the seventh out, so the added second degree colours the triad without any of the tension a dominant brings, a favourite of pop and worship guitarists.
- How do you play Badd9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B, D♯, F♯ and C♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard D♯, F♯ and C♯ are black keys and B is white.
- How do you play Badd9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with Badd9?
- Badd9 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.