Eadd9 chord on piano
Eadd9 is E, G♯, B and F♯. You'll find E just right of the pair of black keys (a white key). Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · E–G♯–B–F♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
How to play Eadd9 on piano
Start on E, count 4 half steps up to G♯, 3 half steps up to B then 7 half steps up to F♯. Those 4 keys are Eadd9.
- Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G♯, 3 on B and 5 on F♯.
- Left hand: 5 on E, 3 on G♯, 2 on B and 1 on F♯.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, white and black keys.
Two ways to voice Eadd9
- root position: E–G♯–B–F♯. RH 1-2-3-5.
- close voicing: E–F♯–G♯–B. RH 1-2-3-5.
The close voicing folds the ninth down next to the root, which fits under one hand; the spread voicing sounds wider.
Eadd9 chord changes
Songs rarely hold Eadd9 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- A (IV in E major): Eadd9 to A: play A in 2nd inversion (E–A–C♯) and E stays under the same finger, while G♯ moves up to A and B up to C♯. A on piano
- B (V in E major): Eadd9 to B: play B in root position (B–D♯–F♯) and B and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while G♯ moves up to D♯. B on piano
- C♯m (vi in E major): Eadd9 to C♯m: play C♯m in 1st inversion (E–G♯–C♯) and E and G♯ stay under the same fingers, while B moves up to C♯. C♯m on piano
Eadd9 is E major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. Eadd9 keeps the major sound and adds sparkle, which makes it a drop-in replacement for E in quiet passages. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short Eadd9 drill
Roll the chord up and back down, E, G♯, B, F♯, B, G♯, E, before playing it as a block.
The keys of Eadd9
Eadd9 is a add 9 chord, 1–3–5–9 from E. Root position, from the bottom: how Eadd9 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| G♯ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| B | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| F♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | ninth |
Eadd9 in context
Eadd9 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Eadd9 on guitar and Eadd9 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Related E chords on piano
Other add 9 chords
Eadd9 on piano: questions
What notes are in Eadd9 on piano?
E, G♯, B and F♯: E (white key), G♯ (black key), B (white key) and F♯ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Eadd9 on piano?
Press E, G♯, B and F♯ together (2 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G♯, 3 on B and 5 on F♯.
What are the inversions of Eadd9?
Eadd9 is usually played in root position (E–G♯–B–F♯) or as a close voicing (E–F♯–G♯–B).
What does Eadd9 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, white and black keys.
Every shape above plays only E, G♯, B and F♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.