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The Cadd9 chord on guitar: C major with an added ninth

Cadd9 is a C major chord with one more note, D, laid on top. It keeps everything that makes C stable and adds a little air, which is why so many acoustic players use it in place of a plain C. The common shape is also easier to change into from G than the open C is: two fingers stay exactly where they are.

Cadd9 chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: C add nine
  • Symbol: Cadd9
  • Notes: C, E, G, D

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Shape Frets, low E to high E Notes, low to high What it is for
Cadd9, open E x32030 C E G D E C, E, G and D with the high E open. Three fingers, the lightest version.
Cadd9, the common one x32033 C E G D G The Cadd9 of acoustic rhythm guitar. Third and fourth fingers sit where they are in G 320033.
Cadd9, top four strings x x 10 9 8 10 C E G D Higher and brighter: third finger on the D string, second on the G string, first on the B string, fourth on the high E.
Cadd9, open E x 3 2 0 3 0 · 2 1 · 3 · fingers
Cadd9, the common one x 3 2 0 3 3 · 2 1 · 3 4 fingers
Cadd9, top four strings x x 10 9 8 10

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

Cadd9 on the neck: every C, E, G, D

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Cadd9: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Cadd9.

Fretboard notes
Swipe the fretboard sideways to see every fret.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
2 - B
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
3 - G
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
4 - D
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
5 - A
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
6 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E

How to play Cadd9: x32033

String Fret Finger Note Role
6 (low E)x--Not played
5 (A)32CRoot
4 (D)21EMajor third
3 (G)open-GFifth
2 (B)33DNinth
1 (high E)34GFifth

The note to protect is E on the D string: it is the major third, the note that keeps the chord a C. The first finger has to come down on its tip so the open G string next to it rings. Pick the strings one by one: if the G string is dead, the first finger is leaning on it.

This fingering is not the one you use for the open C chord. In C, the third finger plays the A string; in Cadd9, the second finger does, so the third and fourth are free for the top two strings.

The G to Cadd9 change

Play G as 320033: second finger on the low E at fret 3, first finger on the A string at fret 2, third and fourth fingers on the B and high E strings at fret 3. To reach Cadd9, leave the third and fourth fingers down and move the other two over by one string: second finger to the A string at fret 3, first finger to the D string at fret 2. Two fingers move, two stay as an anchor.

Chords Shapes What to hear
G, Cadd9 320033, x32033 The top two notes never change: the chords flow into each other.
G, D, Em7, Cadd9 320003, xx0232, 022030, x32033 A I V vi IV in G, the acoustic pop loop with a brighter IV.
C, Cadd9, Am, F x32010, x32033, x02210, xx3211 Follow the D appearing and disappearing on top.

For the D in the second line, D/F# is a common variation: see the D/F# chord.

Cadd9, Csus2, C9: three different chords

Chord Notes What to know
Cadd9 C, E, G, D The full major chord, plus the ninth.
Csus2 C, D, G No E. The D replaces the third instead of joining it.
C9 C, E, G, Bb, D A dominant chord: the Bb makes it want to move to F.

The quick test: if you cannot find E in the shape, it is not Cadd9. x35533 looks like an add9 shape, but its notes are C, G, C, D and G: that is a Csus2.

Where Cadd9 fits

Cadd9 does the job of a C chord, so it goes wherever C goes: the I chord in the key of C, the IV chord in the key of G. Songs rarely write it on the chart; players reach for it because the ninth softens the strum and makes the G to C change easier. Try it in place of C in a song you already play, and keep it only where the melody accepts the D. Used everywhere, it loses its effect.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Cadd9 on guitar?
x32033: second finger on the A string at fret 3, first finger on the D string at fret 2, G string open, third finger on the B string at fret 3, fourth finger on the high E at fret 3. Leave the low E silent and strum the other five strings.
What notes are in Cadd9?
C, E, G and D. It is a C major chord, all three notes kept, with D added on top. D is the ninth of C, hence the name.
What is the difference between Cadd9 and Csus2?
Cadd9 keeps the third, E; Csus2 drops it and puts D in its place. Cadd9 still sounds clearly major, Csus2 sounds open and undecided. Shape x35533 is a common trap: it has no E, so it is a Csus2 even when a chart calls it Cadd9.
Is Cadd9 the same as C9?
No. C9 also has Bb, the minor seventh, which makes it a dominant chord that wants to move to F. Cadd9 has no seventh at all: it stays a calm major chord with an extra color.
Can I use Cadd9 instead of C?
Often, yes, especially in strummed acoustic songs in G or C. Listen first: if the melody sits on C or E and the added D rubs against it, go back to the plain C.
Yohann Abbou, guitar teacher and founder of Guitar Social Club

Who made this

Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.

More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.