Piano chords · Add9 chord
F♯add9 piano chord (F♯ added ninth)
F♯add9 (also written G♭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.
F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – G♯ · tap any key to hear it
The notes of F♯add9
F♯add9 is built from 4 notes (1 – 3 – 5 – 9):
- F♯, the root
- A♯, the major third
- C♯, the fifth
- G♯, the ninth
Every note is a black key, so your hand sits further into the keyboard. It feels unusual at first, but black-key chords are often the most comfortable once you're used to them.
Fingering
- Right hand: 1 on F♯, 2 on A♯, 3 on C♯, 5 on G♯ (the G♯ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above F♯; if it's too wide, play the F♯ with your left hand).
- Left hand: 5 on F♯, 3 on A♯, 2 on C♯, 1 on G♯.
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 F♯add9 belongs
Like F♯, F♯add9 is the I chord in F♯ major, the IV chord in C♯ major and the V chord in B major.
F♯add9 is F♯ with the ninth, G♯, 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
F♯add9 – C♯ – D♯m – B: 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 F♯add9 chord?
F♯add9 (F♯ added ninth) is made of F♯, A♯, C♯ and G♯: the root, major third, fifth and ninth.
How do you play F♯add9 on piano?
With your right hand, use fingers 1 on F♯, 2 on A♯, 3 on C♯, 5 on G♯ (the G♯ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above F♯; if it's too wide, play the F♯ with your left hand), and press them together. With your left hand: 5 on F♯, 3 on A♯, 2 on C♯, 1 on G♯.
How is F♯add9 different from the plain chord?
F♯add9 is F♯ with the ninth, G♯, added on top: the second note of the scale, an octave up. It keeps the major chord's brightness and adds a shimmer.