G♯add9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯add9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B♯, D♯ and A♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭add9.
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
- G♯ · B♯ · D♯ · A♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 14
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Added 9
- Symbol
- G♯add9
G♯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 G♯add9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♯, index finger on B♯, middle finger on D♯ and little finger on A♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯, D♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯ is white, the key you'd normally call C. 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.
- G♯1
- B♯3
- D♯5
- A♯9
G♯add9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯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.
G♯ · B♯ · D♯ · A♯
Try G♯add9 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
G♯add9 chord notes
Also known as A♭add9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B♯(B#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♯(D#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | A♯(A#) |
How to use the G♯add9 chord
The G♯add9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth. Start at the root G♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♯, B♯, D♯ and A♯. 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 G♯add9 differs from similar chords
G♯add9 adds a ninth to G♯ and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from G♯9 and G♯maj9. Unlike G♯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 G♯add9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key G♯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 G♯add9 chord?
- The G♯add9 chord contains G♯, B♯, D♯ and A♯ (G#, B#, D# and A# in plain text).
- Is the G♯add9 chord major or minor?
- G♯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 G♯add9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♯, B♯, D♯ and A♯ 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♯, D♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯ is white, the key you'd normally call C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯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 G♯add9 chord?
- G♯add9 is enharmonically equivalent to A♭add9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.