Article
Add9 Chords on Guitar: How to Play and When to Use Them
Learn how to play add9 chords on guitar, how they differ from 9th chords, and when to use them in your playing. Includes shapes, examples, and practice tips.
E major add 9 guitar shapes
Popular fretboard positions with fingering suggestions
Showing 8 of 113 playable shapes
About the chord
E major add 9 guitar chord
The E major add 9 major add 9 chord extends the major triad with an added ninth F♯, creating a bright, expansive harmony. Unlike the major 9 chord, it lacks the major seventh, offering a fresher, more open sound often used in pop, rock, and jazz for uplifting atmospheres.
Root note: E
Quality: major add 9
Chord tones: 4
Playable shapes: 113
Chord tones
EG♯BF♯
Notes & Intervals
Each note below shows how the chord is built from its root. This is the theory layer underneath the fretboard shapes.
E Unison (Root) 1
The root anchors the chord and defines its tonal center.
G♯ Major Third 3
This note defines the chord's major quality and brings brightness to the sound.
B Perfect Fifth 5
The fifth reinforces stability and gives the chord its strong harmonic frame.
F♯ Major Ninth 9
The ninth opens the chord up and adds a modern, spacious color.
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