Which notes are in the Aadd9 chord?

Aadd9 contains the notes A, C#, E and B. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – 9.

How many ways can you play Aadd9?

Minory lists a single guitar fingering for Aadd9.

Is the Aadd9 chord hard to play?

Aadd9 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

A added 9th · Guitar

Aadd9 Chord on Guitar

The Aadd9 chord (A added 9th) is built from the notes A, C#, E and B. The guitar fingering for it is shown below.

Chord diagrams

Aadd9starts at fret 5

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): muted
string 4 (D): fret 7 — ring finger
string 3 (G): fret 6 — middle finger
string 2 (B): fret 5 — index finger
string 1 (E): fret 7 — little finger

Notes in this chord

A
C♯
E
B

Degrees: 1 – 3 – 5 – 9

How to play

Aadd9 can be played with open strings on guitar, which makes it an accessible shape for beginners. Strings marked ○ ring open, while strings marked ✕ are muted.

Theory behind the chord

Add9 chords keep the full major triad and add the ninth without a seventh. The extra note widens the chord without making it sound jazzy, which is why it is everywhere in modern acoustic pop. On Aadd9 this structure sits on the root A, so the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – 9 map onto A, C#, E and B.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the Aadd9 chord?: Aadd9 contains the notes A, C#, E and B. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – 9.
How many ways can you play Aadd9?: Minory lists a single guitar fingering for Aadd9.
Is the Aadd9 chord hard to play?: Aadd9 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

Practise Aadd9 on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.