C♯add9 Chord on Guitar
C♯add9 C♯ E♯ G♯ D♯ 2 shapes Barre chord
Also written D♭add9: the same frets under another name.
Chord diagrams
How to play C♯add9 on guitar
The C♯add9 chord (C♯add9) is made of C♯, E♯, G♯, D♯ - 1 3 5 9. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the A-shape shape at fret 1 (x4314x). Below are 2 shapes in all, from the lowest on the neck to the highest; the same chord sounds brighter the higher you play it.
E-shape, fret 9 9x(11)(10)9(11)
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right). Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little. x = do not play the string, o = open string, a bar = one finger across several strings.
Notes
What notes are in C♯add9?
The C♯add9 chord has 4 different notes: C♯, E♯, G♯, D♯. The major triad plus the ninth - the second, an octave up. A guitar chord rarely has as many strings as notes, so shapes double some of them: every shape here leaves at least one string unplayed - watch the x marks.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| C♯ | Root | 0 |
| E♯ | Major 3rd | 4 |
| G♯ | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| D♯ | Major 9th | 14 |
Chords that go with it
Chords in the key of D♭ major
The seven chords built on the D♭ major scale, with the easiest shape of each. I, IV and V are the three major chords that carry most songs in this key; vi is its relative minor.
A progression to strum
- I - V - vi - IVD♭ - A♭ - B♭m - G♭
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play C♯add9 on guitar?
The A-shape shape x4314x: A string fret 4 (finger 3), D string fret 3 (finger 2), G string fret 1 (finger 1), B string fret 4 (finger 4); do not play low E and high E.
What notes are in the C♯add9 chord?
The C♯add9 chord (C♯add9) is made of C♯, E♯, G♯, D♯. Its formula is 1 3 5 9. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Can I play C♯add9 without a barre?
There is no common open shape for C♯add9 in standard tuning, so it is played as a movable shape: a-shape, fret 1 (x4314x) is the lowest on the neck. If a full barre is hard at first, play only the four highest strings of that shape - the root and the third are still there.
Is C♯add9 the same as D♭add9?
On the guitar, yes: the same frets. The name changes with the key - sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys.
Keep playing
Strum C♯add9, then build a song around it
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