As the tonic (I)C♯ major
Home. The loop leaves C♯add9 and keeps coming back to it.
C♯add9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯add9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, E♯, G♯ and D♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭add9.
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
- C♯add9
C♯add9 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♯add9 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 C♯, G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯ is white, the key you'd normally call F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♯1
- E♯3
- G♯5
- D♯9
C♯add9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯add9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
C♯ · E♯ · G♯ · D♯
Try C♯add9 on the virtual piano
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C♯add9 chord notes
Also known as D♭add9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♯(E#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D♯(D#) |
How to use the C♯add9 chord
The C♯add9 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 C♯add9 differs from similar chords
C♯add9 adds a ninth to C♯ and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from C♯9 and C♯maj9. Unlike C♯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 C♯add9 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 C♯add9 chord?
- The C♯add9 chord contains C♯, E♯, G♯ and D♯ (C#, E#, G# and D# in plain text).
- Is the C♯add9 chord major or minor?
- C♯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 C♯add9 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 C♯, G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯ is white, the key you'd normally call F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯add9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♯add9 chord?
- C♯add9 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭add9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.