Cadd9 chord on guitar

Cadd9 is C, E, G and D. The easiest shape is x-3-2-0-3-0. Tap Play, then slow it down.

x-3-2-0-3-0 · open · easy

Notes: C · E · G · D
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
First shape: x-3-2-0-3-0

How to play Cadd9 on guitar

Shape 1, x-3-2-0-3-0, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger: D string, 2nd fret (E).
Middle finger: A string, 3rd fret (C).
Ring finger: B string, 3rd fret (D).
Let the open G and high E strings ring (G 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 Cadd9

x-15-14-12-15-x: movable shape at the 12th fret, medium. Root on the 5th string, so it pairs well with the 6th-string shape a few frets away.
8-5-5-7-5-8: partial barre shape at the 5th fret, medium. A different set of strings gives a different color of the same chord.
x-x-10-9-8-10: movable shape at the 8th fret, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.

Cadd9 chord changes

The chords Cadd9 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

F (IV in C major): Cadd9 (x-3-2-0-3-0) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the D string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared note: C. F on guitar
G (V in C major): Cadd9 (x-3-2-0-3-0) to G (3-2-0-0-0-3): the index finger slides across to the A string at the same fret, the middle finger slides across to the low E string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the high E 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 G and D, which stay put while the rest moves. G on guitar
Am (vi in C major): Cadd9 (x-3-2-0-3-0) to Am (x-0-2-2-1-0): your index finger lands on the B string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. C and E carry over from one chord to the other. Am on guitar

Cadd9 is C major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. Cadd9 keeps the major sound and adds sparkle, which makes it a drop-in replacement for C in quiet passages. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short Cadd9 drill

Before strumming, play x-3-2-0-3-0 note by note: C then E then G then D then E. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Finish by moving between x-3-2-0-3-0 and x-15-14-12-15-x to learn two positions of the same chord.

Keys and progressions with Cadd9

Cadd9 on piano and ukulele

Cadd9 on piano and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Related C chords on guitar

Other add 9 chords

Cadd9 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Cadd9 on guitar?

C, E, G and D. In the x-3-2-0-3-0 shape the strings play C (A string), E (D string), G (G string, open), D (B string) and E (high E string, open), so E is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Cadd9 on guitar?

x-3-2-0-3-0, the first shape on this page. No barre: some strings ring open.

Is Cadd9 a barre chord on guitar?

Not the usual shape: x-3-2-0-3-0 needs no barre.

Which string does Cadd9 start on?

In the x-3-2-0-3-0 shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 3rd fret, which is C, the root. Skip the low E string.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes C, E, G and D and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.