B♯add9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯add9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪 and C𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Cadd9.
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
- B♯add9
B♯add9 on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♯add9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♯, index finger on D𝄪, middle finger on F𝄪 and little finger on C𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of B♯add9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, E, G and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- D𝄪3
- F𝄪5
- C𝄪9
B♯add9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯add9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 4, 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪 · C𝄪
Play B♯add9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯add9 chord notes
Also known as Cadd9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D𝄪(D##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C𝄪(C##) |
How to use the B♯add9 chord
The B♯add9 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 B♯add9 differs from similar chords
B♯add9 adds a ninth to B♯ and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from B♯9 and B♯maj9. Unlike B♯sus2, it keeps the major third, so it stays clearly major. The ninth is the same note as the second, only an octave higher.
Where B♯add9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯add9 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯add9 chord?
- The B♯add9 chord contains B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪 and C𝄪 (B#, D##, F## and C## in plain text).
- Is the B♯add9 chord major or minor?
- B♯add9 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 B♯add9 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 every note of B♯add9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, E, G and D.
- How do you play B♯add9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 4, 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯add9 chord?
- B♯add9 is enharmonically equivalent to Cadd9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.