As the tonic (I)F♯ major
Home. The loop leaves F♯add9 and keeps coming back to it.
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 G♭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
- 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 every note of F♯add9 is a black key. 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.
- 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. 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.
F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · G♯
Play F♯add9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
F♯add9 chord notes
Also known as G♭add9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♯(F#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | A♯(A#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♯(C#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | G♯(G#) |
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♯ (F#, A#, C# and G# 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 every note of F♯add9 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play F♯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.
- What is another name for the F♯add9 chord?
- F♯add9 is enharmonically equivalent to G♭add9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.