As the IVC♭ major
F♭add9 is the step away from home that makes the return feel like a return.
F♭add9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭add9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, A♭, C♭ and G♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as Eadd9.
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
- F♭ · A♭ · C♭ · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 14
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Added 9
- Symbol
- F♭add9
F♭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 F♭add9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, index finger on A♭, middle finger on C♭ and little finger on G♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♭ and G♭ are black keys and F♭ and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E and B. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- A♭3
- C♭5
- G♭9
F♭add9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭add9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6 and 2 ring open.
F♭ · A♭ · C♭ · G♭
Try F♭add9 on the virtual piano
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F♭add9 chord notes
Also known as Eadd9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | G♭(Gb) |
How to use the F♭add9 chord
The F♭add9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, A♭, C♭ and G♭. 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 F♭add9 differs from similar chords
F♭add9 adds a ninth to F♭ and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from F♭9 and F♭maj9. Unlike F♭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 F♭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 F♭add9 chord?
- The F♭add9 chord contains F♭, A♭, C♭ and G♭ (Fb, Ab, Cb and Gb in plain text).
- Is the F♭add9 chord major or minor?
- F♭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 F♭add9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, A♭, C♭ and G♭ 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 A♭ and G♭ are black keys and F♭ and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E and B.
- How do you play F♭add9 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 is another name for the F♭add9 chord?
- F♭add9 is enharmonically equivalent to Eadd9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.