Piano chords · Add9 chord
Aadd9 piano chord (A added ninth)
Aadd9 is a added ninth chord with 4 notes. It sounds bright and shimmering. Here's how to find it, play it and hear it.
A – C♯ – E – B · tap any key to hear it
The notes of Aadd9
Aadd9 is built from 4 notes (1 – 3 – 5 – 9):
- A, the root
- C♯, the major third
- E, the fifth
- B, the ninth
C♯ is a black key, so keep your hand slightly further in, towards the fallboard, to reach it without stretching.
Fingering
- Right hand: 1 on A, 2 on C♯, 3 on E, 5 on B (the B is a stretch: it sits a ninth above A; if it's too wide, play the A with your left hand).
- Left hand: 5 on A, 3 on C♯, 2 on E, 1 on B.
Press every key at exactly the same moment, with the same weight. If one note sounds louder or a fraction late, the chord sounds uneven: play it slowly and listen for one sound.
Where Aadd9 belongs
Like A, Aadd9 is the I chord in A major, the IV chord in E major and the V chord in D major.
Aadd9 is A with the ninth, B, added on top: the second note of the scale, an octave up. It keeps the major chord's brightness and adds a shimmer.
Hear it in a progression
Aadd9 – E – F♯m – D: Iadd9 – V – vi – IV, the pop progression with a lift.
Playing it, but it doesn't sound right? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a chord that's uneven. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the Aadd9 chord?
Aadd9 (A added ninth) is made of A, C♯, E and B: the root, major third, fifth and ninth.
How do you play Aadd9 on piano?
With your right hand, use fingers 1 on A, 2 on C♯, 3 on E, 5 on B (the B is a stretch: it sits a ninth above A; if it's too wide, play the A with your left hand), and press them together. With your left hand: 5 on A, 3 on C♯, 2 on E, 1 on B.
How is Aadd9 different from the plain chord?
Aadd9 is A with the ninth, B, added on top: the second note of the scale, an octave up. It keeps the major chord's brightness and adds a shimmer.