Chords
C# Add flat nine
C# · E# · G# · D
C# Add flat nine (C#majaddb9) is a major chord of 4 notes: C# · E# · G# · D.
Also written C#Maddb9
C# Add flat nine
C# · E# · G# · D
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | C#3 · E#3 · G#3 · D4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | G#2 · C#3 · E#3 · D4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
C# Add flat nine (C#majaddb9) contains the notes C# · E# · G# · D, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of C# Add flat nine puts a chord tone other than C# in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales C# Add flat nine belongs to.
In which keys
C# Add flat nine is diatonic to 1 key; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
- F# minorVmajaddb9Dominant
Scales that contain it
C# Add flat nine fits inside these scales, each built on C#.
- C# Phrygian DominantC# · D · E# · F# · G# · A · B
- C# ScriabinC# · D · E# · G# · A#
- C# Double Harmonic MajorC# · D · E# · F# · G# · A · B#
- C# Spanish HeptatonicC# · D · E · E# · F# · G# · A · B
Understanding the C# Add flat nine chord
Names and symbols
C#majaddb9 is the chord symbol for C# Add flat nine; it is also written C#Maddb9.
Common questions
- What notes are in the C# Add flat nine chord?
- The C# Add flat nine chord contains the notes C# · E# · G# · D: the root C# with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 9m stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally C#, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the C# Add flat nine chord?
- Measured from C#, the C# Add flat nine chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 9m. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the C# Add flat nine chord?
- On guitar the most common C# Add flat nine shape is x43131, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play C#3 · E#3 · G#3 · D4 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.