E♯add9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♯add9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯, G𝄪, B♯ and F𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Fadd9.
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
- E♯add9
E♯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 E♯add9 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 every note of E♯add9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call F, A, C and G. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♯1
- G𝄪3
- B♯5
- F𝄪9
E♯add9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♯add9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 5 and 3 ring open.
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · F𝄪
Try E♯add9 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E♯add9 chord notes
Also known as Fadd9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G𝄪(G##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♯(B#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F𝄪(F##) |
How to use the E♯add9 chord
The E♯add9 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 E♯add9 differs from similar chords
E♯add9 adds a ninth to E♯ and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from E♯9 and E♯maj9. Unlike E♯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 E♯add9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯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 E♯add9 chord?
- The E♯add9 chord contains E♯, G𝄪, B♯ and F𝄪 (E#, G##, B# and F## in plain text).
- Is the E♯add9 chord major or minor?
- E♯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 E♯add9 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 every note of E♯add9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call F, A, C and G.
- How do you play E♯add9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 5 and 3 ring open.
- What is another name for the E♯add9 chord?
- E♯add9 is enharmonically equivalent to Fadd9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.