How to Read Guitar Chord Diagrams
Learn how to read guitar chord diagrams quickly. Understand dots, numbers, Xs, Os, and finger positions so you can play any chord chart at sight.
Popular fretboard positions with fingering suggestions
Showing 8 of 14 playable shapes
The C♯6 add 9 6 add 9 chord blends the major triad with a major sixth A♯ and a ninth D♯, producing a jazzy, sophisticated sound. Its smooth, feel-good harmony is popular in jazz, funk, and pop, adding a playful, nostalgic color to progressions. With E♯ in the bass, this voicing functions as the 1st inversion of C♯6 add 9.
Each note below shows how the chord is built from its root. This is the theory layer underneath the fretboard shapes.
The root anchors the chord and defines its tonal center.
This note defines the chord's major quality and brings brightness to the sound.
The fifth reinforces stability and gives the chord its strong harmonic frame.
The sixth adds warmth and a slightly more relaxed extended color.
The ninth opens the chord up and adds a modern, spacious color.
Articles that reference this chord and explain how to use it in your playing.
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