F♯add9 Chord on Guitar
F♯add9 F♯ A♯ C♯ G♯ 2 shapes Barre chord
Also written G♭add9: the same frets under another name.
Chord diagrams
How to play F♯add9 on guitar
The F♯add9 chord (F♯add9) is made of F♯, A♯, C♯, G♯ - 1 3 5 9. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the E-shape shape at fret 2 (2x4324). 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.
A-shape, fret 6 x9869x
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 F♯add9?
The F♯add9 chord has 4 different notes: F♯, A♯, C♯, G♯. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| F♯ | Root | 0 |
| A♯ | Major 3rd | 4 |
| C♯ | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| G♯ | Major 9th | 14 |
Chords that go with it
Chords in the key of F♯ major
The seven chords built on the F♯ 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 - IVF♯ - C♯ - D♯m - B
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play F♯add9 on guitar?
The E-shape shape 2x4324: low E string fret 2 (finger 1), D string fret 4 (finger 3), G string fret 3 (finger 2), B string fret 2 (finger 1), high E string fret 4 (finger 4); do not play A.
What notes are in the F♯add9 chord?
The F♯add9 chord (F♯add9) is made of F♯, A♯, C♯, G♯. Its formula is 1 3 5 9. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Can I play F♯add9 without a barre?
There is no common open shape for F♯add9 in standard tuning, so it is played as a movable shape: e-shape, fret 2 (2x4324) 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 F♯add9 the same as G♭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 F♯add9, then build a song around it
The guitar on this page is free, with no account. GOONS Studio adds the rest of the band in the browser - a sampled piano with chord pads, drum machines, a bass synth and a sequencer - with a 7-day free trial, no card required.