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Guitar chords · Add 9

B♭add9 chord on guitar (Bbadd9)

B♭add9 (B♭ add 9) has four notes: B♭, D, F and C, the , 3, 5 and 9.

Shapes

How to play B♭add9

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

B♭add9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 1. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 1

    ××R593B♭FCD
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes B♭add9 add 9

An add9 chord is a major chord with the 9th (the 2nd, an up) added on top. Unlike a sus2, it keeps its 3rd, so it still sounds major, just brighter and more open.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The 3rd and the 9th make B♭add9 an add 9 chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. B♭Rroot
  2. D3essential
  3. F5optional
  4. C9essential
EADGBE0135791215B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭FCDFCDFCDFCDFCDFCDFCDFCDF
  • B♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

B♭add9 and A♯add9 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with B♭add9

B♭add9 belongs to six keys: E♭ major (Vadd9), B♭ major (Iadd9), F major (IVadd9), C minor (VIIadd9), G minor (IIIadd9) and D minor (VIadd9).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

B♭add9 over another bass note

A keeps B♭add9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • B♭add9/D

    B♭add9 with its 3rd, D, in the bass.

  • B♭add9/F

    B♭add9 with its 5th, F, in the bass.

Questions

B♭add9, in short

What notes are in the B♭add9 chord?
B♭add9 (B♭ add 9) has four notes: B♭, D, F and C, the , 3, 5 and 9.
How do you play B♭add9 on guitar?
B♭add9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 1.
What key is B♭add9 in?
B♭add9 belongs to six keys: E♭ major (Vadd9), B♭ major (Iadd9), F major (IVadd9), C minor (VIIadd9), G minor (IIIadd9) and D minor (VIadd9).
Is B♭add9 the same as A♯add9?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. B♭add9 is the spelling in E♭ major, B♭ major, F major, C minor, G minor and D minor. No key on the circle spells it A♯add9, so you will rarely see that name.
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