Piano chords · Add9 chord
Eadd9 piano chord (E added ninth)
Eadd9 is a added ninth chord with 4 notes. It sounds bright and shimmering. Here's how to find it, play it and hear it.
E – G♯ – B – F♯ · tap any key to hear it
The notes of Eadd9
Eadd9 is built from 4 notes (1 – 3 – 5 – 9):
- E, the root
- G♯, the major third
- B, the fifth
- F♯, the ninth
G♯ and F♯ are black keys, so keep your hand slightly further in, towards the fallboard, to reach them without stretching.
Fingering
- Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G♯, 3 on B, 5 on F♯ (the F♯ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above E; if it's too wide, play the E with your left hand).
- Left hand: 5 on E, 3 on G♯, 2 on B, 1 on F♯.
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 Eadd9 belongs
Like E, Eadd9 is the I chord in E major, the IV chord in B major and the V chord in A major.
Eadd9 is E with the ninth, F♯, 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
Eadd9 – B – C♯m – A: 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 Eadd9 chord?
Eadd9 (E added ninth) is made of E, G♯, B and F♯: the root, major third, fifth and ninth.
How do you play Eadd9 on piano?
With your right hand, use fingers 1 on E, 2 on G♯, 3 on B, 5 on F♯ (the F♯ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above E; if it's too wide, play the E with your left hand), and press them together. With your left hand: 5 on E, 3 on G♯, 2 on B, 1 on F♯.
How is Eadd9 different from the plain chord?
Eadd9 is E with the ninth, F♯, added on top: the second note of the scale, an octave up. It keeps the major chord's brightness and adds a shimmer.