How to play C minor add 9 chord on guitar

What does "xxa88a" mean?

The sequence xxa88a is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.

• x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
• 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
• 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
• a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).

Can I play this C minor add 9 shape anywhere else?

Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a C minor add 9 chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for C minor add 9. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.

Why do some strings have an 'x'?

Strings marked with an 'x' should not ring out. These notes are excluded because they don't belong to the C minor add 9 chord or would clash with this specific voicing. You can mute these strings by lightly touching them with a finger that is already pressing a neighboring fret.