As the tonic (I)C major
Home. The loop leaves Cadd9 and keeps coming back to it.
Cadd9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Cadd9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, E, G and D.
Transpose
Quality
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
- C · E · G · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 14
- Note
- C
- Quality
- Added 9
- Symbol
- Cadd9
Cadd9 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Cadd9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C, index finger on E, middle finger on G and little finger on D. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of Cadd9 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C1
- E3
- G5
- D9
Cadd9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Cadd9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 3. Strings 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
C · E · G · D
Play Cadd9 on the online piano
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Cadd9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D |
How to use the Cadd9 chord
The Cadd9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth. Start at the root C and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C, E, G and D. 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 Cadd9 differs from similar chords
Cadd9 adds a ninth to C and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from C9 and Cmaj9. Unlike Csus2, it keeps the major third, so it stays clearly major. The ninth is the same note as the second, only an octave higher.
Where Cadd9 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 Cadd9 chord?
- The Cadd9 chord contains C, E, G and D.
- Is the Cadd9 chord major or minor?
- Cadd9 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 Cadd9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C, E, G and D 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 Cadd9 is a white key.
- How do you play Cadd9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 3. Strings 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with Cadd9?
- Cadd9 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.