G♯add9 chord
G♯ add nine. The add nine chord: a major triad with the ninth added and no seventh. It sounds bright and open, and it is common in pop and folk guitar.
Click a note to hear it
- Notes
- G♯ B♯ D♯ A♯
- Formula
- 1 3 5 9
- Intervals
- P1 M3 P5 M2
- Also written
- G♯add2
- Enharmonic
- A♭add9
Notes in G♯add9
G♯add9 is spelled G♯ B♯ D♯ A♯: four notes stacked from the root G♯.
| Note | Interval above G♯ | Role | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | root | 1 | |
| M3 | third | 3 | |
| P5 | fifth | 5 | |
| M2 | ninth | 9 |
Inversions
Putting a different chord tone in the bass gives each inversion. The chord is the same; the bass note changes how it sounds and what it can lead to.
| Position | Notes, low to high | Symbol | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | G♯ B♯ D♯ A♯ | G♯add9 | |
| First inversion | B♯ D♯ A♯ G♯ | G♯add9/B♯ | |
| Second inversion | D♯ A♯ G♯ B♯ | G♯add9/D♯ | |
| Third inversion | A♯ G♯ B♯ D♯ | G♯add9/A♯ |
On the piano
The root position voicing, with every chord tone lit in its own colour. Click a key to hear it.
On the guitar
G♯add9 in standard tuning. The barre shapes below slide anywhere on the neck, so the same fingers give you every root. Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right); X means do not play that string.
E-shape barre at fret 4
A-shape barre at fret 11
What it sounds like
Cadd9 is C, E, G and D: a major triad with the ninth, D, added. The ninth is a major second above the octave, so it adds colour without a seventh to pull the chord forward. The D sits a major second below E, the major third, and the friction between them gives the chord a ringing, slightly unsettled brightness. Because the chord has no seventh, the sound remains stable and the tension stays low. The added note brightens the triad and opens its colour.
How it is used
Add9 chords are built on the tonic and the subdominant in major keys, as I(add9) and IV(add9). Pop and folk guitar use them as a colour for familiar triads, since the ninth adds openness without changing the function. The chord has no seventh, so it does not push toward a resolution the way a dominant does, and it can move to IV or V as a plain triad would. Piano and guitar writers use it to brighten a triad without changing its function.
How it is built
Add9 is a root with a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth, 0, 4, 7 and 14 semitones above the root, or two semitones above the octave. Common symbols are Cadd9, C(add9) and Cadd2. Cadd9 has no seventh, so it differs from C9, which adds a minor seventh. It is Cmaj9 without the seventh. The first inversion is Cadd9/E, which places E at the bottom, and the second is Cadd9/G, which places G at the bottom.
Which keys contain G♯add9
G♯add9 is not built from any one major or minor key’s own notes. It appears through borrowing, alteration or chromatic voice leading, which is part of why it sounds coloured.
Scales that fit G♯add9
Scales that contain every note of the chord, so they can be played over it:
- C natural minor
- C Phrygian
- C Locrian
- C♯ major
- C♯ melodic minor
- C♯ Lydian
- D♭ major
- D♭ melodic minor
- D♭ Lydian
- D Locrian
- E♭ major
- E♭ melodic minor
- E♭ Dorian
- E♭ Mixolydian
Other G♯ chords
How to practise it
Play C, Cadd9 and Cmaj7 in turn, keeping the same hand position. Notice that Cadd9 adds D and Cmaj7 adds B, and that each added note brightens the triad in a different way. Then play Cadd9 with D as the lowest voice above the bass, and again with D on top, and compare the friction with E.
Further reading
- Chord Extensions Explained: Ninths, Elevenths and ThirteenthsJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
- Chord Symbols Explained: Major, Minor, Seventh and Slash ChordsHarmony · 8 min
- Suspended Chords: Sus2 and Sus4 ExplainedHarmony · 7 min
Questions
What notes are in a G♯add9 chord?
G♯add9 contains G♯, B♯, D♯, A♯. That is the root, third, fifth, ninth of the chord.
How do you spell G♯ add nine?
Stack the intervals P1, M3, P5, M2 above G♯: G♯, B♯, D♯, A♯.
What other symbols mean G♯add9?
Lead sheets also write it G♯add2. They are the same chord.
What is the difference between Cadd9 and C9?
Cadd9 is C, E, G and D, a major triad with the ninth added and no seventh. C9 is C, E, G, B♭ and D, a dominant seventh with a ninth. The minor seventh, B♭, is the difference. Cadd9 keeps the stable triad sound, while C9 has a seventh that adds tension and pull toward a lower note.
What does add9 mean?
Add9 means the ninth is added to the chord without a seventh. The ninth is the second above the octave, so in C it is D. Cadd9 is therefore a C major triad with D added. Writers use the word add to show that the seventh is not present, which distinguishes it from a plain ninth chord.
Is Cadd9 the same as Csus2?
No. Csus2 is C, D and G, with no third. Cadd9 is C, D, E and G, with the major third kept. Csus2 is neither major nor minor, while Cadd9 is major. The two chords share the notes C, D and G, and the difference is the third.