Aadd9 chord on guitar

Aadd9 is A, C♯, E and B. The easiest shape is x-0-2-4-2-0. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

x-0-2-4-2-0 · open · easy

Notes: A · C♯ · E · B
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
First shape: x-0-2-4-2-0

How to play Aadd9 on guitar

Shape 1, x-0-2-4-2-0, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger: D string, 2nd fret (E).
Middle finger: B string, 2nd fret (C♯).
Ring finger: G string, 4th fret (B).
Let the open A and high E strings ring (A and E).
Don't play the low E string: start your strum on the A string.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.

Other ways to play Aadd9

x-12-11-9-12-x: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. Root on the 5th string, so it pairs well with the 6th-string shape a few frets away.
x-x-7-6-5-7: movable shape at the 5th fret, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.

Capo shortcuts for Aadd9

A capo turns an open chord into Aadd9: capo on the 5th fret and play the open Eadd9 shape (0-2-4-1-0-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between Aadd9 and its neighbours

Songs rarely hold Aadd9 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

D (IV in A major): Aadd9 (x-0-2-4-2-0) to D (x-x-0-2-3-2): the index finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the middle finger slides across to the high E string at the same fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared note: A. D on guitar
E (V in A major): Aadd9 (x-0-2-4-2-0) to E (0-2-2-1-0-0): your index finger lands on the G string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the D string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for E and B, which stay put while the rest moves. E on guitar
F♯m (vi in A major): Aadd9 (x-0-2-4-2-0) to F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 4th fret, the ring finger slides across to the D string at the same fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for A and C♯, which stay put while the rest moves. F♯m on guitar

Aadd9 is A major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. Aadd9 keeps the major sound and adds sparkle, which makes it a drop-in replacement for A in quiet passages. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Practice Aadd9 in two minutes

Before strumming, play x-0-2-4-2-0 note by note: A then E then B then C♯ then E. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-0-2-4-2-0 and x-12-11-9-12-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Aadd9 in context

Aadd9 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try Aadd9 on ukulele or Aadd9 on piano, or compare them on the Aadd9 chord page.

Related A chords on guitar

Other add 9 chords

Aadd9 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Aadd9 on guitar?

A, C♯, E and B. In the x-0-2-4-2-0 shape the strings play A (A string, open), E (D string), B (G string), C♯ (B string) and E (high E string, open), so E is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Aadd9 on guitar?

x-0-2-4-2-0, the first shape on this page. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is Aadd9 a barre chord on guitar?

Not the usual shape: x-0-2-4-2-0 needs no barre.

Which string does Aadd9 start on?

In the x-0-2-4-2-0 shape the lowest string you play is the A string, open, which is A, the root. Skip the low E string.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes A, C♯, E and B and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.