Cadd9 chord on 6-String Guitar – Drop E

in Drop E (E-B-E-A-C#-F#) tuning

Root

Type

Tuning

Cadd9

Add 9

Notes:C · E · G · D

medium

Piano Left hand Right hand

Fingerings (16)

Cadd9 shapes as text

Frets	Fingers	Notes	Difficulty
x 1 0 3 1 1	– 1 – 4 2 3	x C E C D G	medium
3 3 3 3 3 x	1 1 1 1 1 –	G D G C E x	easy · barre on fret 3
8 5 8 5 6 x	3 1 4 1 2 –	C E C D G x	medium · barre on fret 5
x x 8 7 6 8	– – 3 2 1 4	x x C E G D	medium
8 8 0 7 x 8	2 3 – 1 – 4	C G E E x D	hard
8 8 12 10 11 8	1 1 4 2 3 1	C G E G C D	hard · barre on fret 8
x x 10 10 11 10	– – 1 1 2 1	x x D G C E	easy · barre on fret 10
x 1 0 x 1 1	– 1 – – 2 3	x C E x D G	easy
x 3 3 3 3 x	– 1 1 1 1 –	x D G C E x	easy · barre on fret 3
8 5 8 5 x x	2 1 3 1 – –	C E C D x x	medium · barre on fret 5
8 x 0 7 6 8	3 – – 2 1 4	C x E E G D	hard
8 8 10 7 x x	2 3 4 1 – –	C G D E x x	medium
8 8 0 10 x 8	1 2 – 4 – 3	C G E G x D	hard
0 x 10 10 11 10	– – 1 1 2 1	E x D G C E	easy · barre on fret 10
x 1 0 3 1 x	– 1 – 3 2 –	x C E C D x	medium
3 3 3 3 3 6	1 1 1 1 1 2	G D G C E C	medium · barre on fret 3

Max fret: 12

Fingerings shown: 16

The Cadd9 chord (Add 9) is built from the notes C, E, G, D. Below are playable fingerings for 6-String Guitar – Drop E generated for your selected tuning, ordered from open-position shapes up the neck. Tap a diagram to hear it, or switch to the piano view to see the same harmony on keys.

How the Cadd9 chord is built

Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 9

Degree	Semitones	Note
1	0	C
3	4	E
5	7	G
9	14	D

More C chords

C Cm C7 C°C+C9 Cmaj7 Cm7 C7♯5 C7♭5 C6 Cm6 Cm7♭5 C°7 Csus2 Csus4 Cmaj9 Cm9 C5

Other roots

C#add9 Dadd9 D#add9 Eadd9 Fadd9 F#add9 Gadd9 G#add9 Aadd9 A#add9 Badd9

See Cadd9 in another tuning

Standard E E-A-D-G-B-E Half Step Down (Eb) D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#Drop D D-A-D-G-B-E Drop E E-B-E-A-C#-F#Open D D-A-D-F#-A-D Open G D-G-D-G-B-D DADGAD (D Modal) D-A-D-G-A-D

What notes make up the Cadd9 chord?

Cadd9 is a Add 9 chord built from the notes C, E, G, D.

How do I read the diagram?

Strings run left to right from the lowest to the first string; the numbers show which finger presses each fret. An ○ marks an open string, an ✕ marks a muted one.