Cadd9

Character: shimmering

Voicings

4 ways to play Cadd9

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

CC shape Root position Cadd9

Frets x 3 2 0 3 0Notes C E G DIntervals 1 3 5 9Base triadC major, root position

The 9th gets a string of its own.

CC shape 2nd inversion Cadd9/G

Frets 3 3 2 0 3 0Notes G C E DIntervals 5 1 3 9Base triadC major, 2nd inversion

The 9th gets a string of its own.

GG shape Root position Cadd9

Frets 8 7 5 7 5 0Notes C E G DIntervals 1 3 5 9Base triadC major, root position

The 9th gets a string of its own.

EE shape Root position Cadd9

Frets 8 10 10 9 8 10Notes C E G DIntervals 1 3 5 9Base triadC 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 Cadd9?

Cadd9 is spelled C E G D: C is the root, E is the 3rd, G is the 5th, D is the 9th.

What is the formula of Cadd9?

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

How many ways can you play Cadd9 on guitar?

This page shows 4 voicings of Cadd9, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.