Piano chords · Add9 chord

D♭add9 piano chord (D♭ added ninth)

D♭add9 (also written C♯add9) is a added ninth chord with 4 notes. It sounds bright and shimmering. Here's how to find it, play it and hear it.

D♭FA♭E♭

D♭ – F – A♭ – E♭ · tap any key to hear it

The notes of D♭add9

D♭add9 is built from 4 notes (1 – 3 – 5 – 9):

D♭, the root
F, the major third
A♭, the fifth
E♭, the ninth

D♭ and A♭ and E♭ are black keys, so keep your hand slightly further in, towards the fallboard, to reach them without stretching.

Fingering

Right hand: 1 on D♭, 2 on F, 3 on A♭, 5 on E♭ (the E♭ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above D♭; if it's too wide, play the D♭ with your left hand).
Left hand: 5 on D♭, 3 on F, 2 on A♭, 1 on E♭.

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 D♭add9 belongs

Like D♭, D♭add9 is the I chord in D♭ major, the IV chord in A♭ major and the V chord in G♭ major.

D♭add9 is D♭ with the ninth, E♭, 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

D♭add9 – A♭ – B♭m – G♭: 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.

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Questions people ask

What notes are in the D♭add9 chord?

D♭add9 (D♭ added ninth) is made of D♭, F, A♭ and E♭: the root, major third, fifth and ninth.

How do you play D♭add9 on piano?

With your right hand, use fingers 1 on D♭, 2 on F, 3 on A♭, 5 on E♭ (the E♭ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above D♭; if it's too wide, play the D♭ with your left hand), and press them together. With your left hand: 5 on D♭, 3 on F, 2 on A♭, 1 on E♭.

How is D♭add9 different from the plain chord?