Chord · Guitar
C Add 9 Chord · Guitar
Fretboard map · Guitar
Find every available note across the first 12 frets.
Notes
C · E · G · D
Root: C
Intervals
1 · 3 · 5 · 9
How it is built
This chord starts on C and applies the intervals 1, 3, 5, 9. The result contains 4 distinct pitch classes per octave.
Explore related combinations
Guide and musical context
About C Add 9 Guitar Chord
C Add 9 Guitar chord contains C, E, G, D. Its sound is clear and expansive, adding a ninth without a seventh.
Character and sound
Clear and expansive, adding a ninth without a seventh.
Musical context and history
Add9 chords became especially common in modern pop, rock and acoustic arranging because they enrich a triad while keeping a simple open structure.
How and where it is used
They work well as colored tonic or subdominant chords and in open-string voicings.
On guitar, the same pitch collection can appear in several fretboard positions. Favor comfortable fingerings, guide tones and open strings when useful; the map shows all available positions across the first twelve frets. Everything you see and hear on this page comes from the same note set shown above.
Harmonic and musical relationships
From C, the dominant is G, the subdominant is F and the relative minor is A. These relationships are useful starting points for progressions.
The formula on this page is 1 · 3 · 5 · 9 and, from C, produces the notes C · E · G · D.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the C Add 9 Guitar chord?
The notes are C, E, G, D.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · 9.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Clear and expansive, adding a ninth without a seventh. They work well as colored tonic or subdominant chords and in open-string voicings.
How can I check it on Guitar?
Use the interactive diagram on this page and press Play or Note by note. The highlighted positions, written notes and playback all use the same pitch collection.