B♭add9 Guitar Chord — Notes, Formula & 3 Voicings (PDF)

Voicings

3 ways to play B♭add9

Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.

CC shape 1st inversion B♭add9/D

Frets x x 12 10 11 8Notes D F B♭ CIntervals 3 5 1 9Base triadB♭ major, 1st inversion

The 9th gets a string of its own.

GG shape Root position B♭add9

Frets 6 5 3 5 3 6Notes B♭ D F CIntervals 1 3 5 9Base triadB♭ major, root position

The 9th gets a string of its own.

EE shape Root position B♭add9

Frets 6 8 8 7 6 8Notes B♭ D F CIntervals 1 3 5 9Base triadB♭ major, root position

The 9th gets a string of its own.

The rules

Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
No 7th, no stack
6, add9, add11 and 6/9 are a triad with a colour note, not a stack. Without a 7th the chord sounds open rather than jazzy.

All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.

What notes are in B♭add9?

B♭add9 is spelled B♭ D F C: B♭ is the root, D is the 3rd, F is the 5th, C is the 9th.

What is the formula of B♭add9?

1 3 5 9. It is a B♭ major triad with the 9th stacked on top.

How many ways can you play B♭add9 on guitar?

This page shows 3 voicings of B♭add9, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.