As the tonic (I)E major
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Eadd9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Eadd9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G♯, B and F♯.
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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
- E · G♯ · B · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 14
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Added 9
- Symbol
- Eadd9
Eadd9 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Eadd9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, index finger on G♯, middle finger on B and little finger on F♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ and F♯ are black keys and E and B are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- G♯3
- B5
- F♯9
Eadd9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Eadd9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6 and 2 ring open.
E · G♯ · B · F♯
Play Eadd9 on the online piano
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Eadd9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F♯(F#) |
How to use the Eadd9 chord
The Eadd9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G♯, B and F♯. 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 Eadd9 differs from similar chords
Eadd9 adds a ninth to E and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from E9 and Emaj9. Unlike Esus2, it keeps the major third, so it stays clearly major. The ninth is the same note as the second, only an octave higher.
Where Eadd9 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 Eadd9 chord?
- The Eadd9 chord contains E, G♯, B and F♯ (E, G#, B and F# in plain text).
- Is the Eadd9 chord major or minor?
- Eadd9 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 Eadd9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G♯, B and F♯ 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 G♯ and F♯ are black keys and E and B are white.
- How do you play Eadd9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6 and 2 ring open.
- What chords work well with Eadd9?
- Eadd9 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.