F♯add9 chord on piano
F♯add9 is F♯, A♯, C♯ and G♯. You'll find F♯ on the first black key of the group of three. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · F♯–A♯–C♯–G♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
How to play F♯add9 on piano
From F♯, go 4 half steps up to A♯, 3 half steps up to C♯ then 7 half steps up to G♯. That's the whole chord: 4 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on F♯, 2 on A♯, 3 on C♯ and 5 on G♯.
- Left hand: 5 on F♯, 3 on A♯, 2 on C♯ and 1 on G♯.
- On the keyboard it's black, black, black and black keys.
Two ways to voice F♯add9
- root position: F♯–A♯–C♯–G♯. RH 1-2-3-5.
- close voicing: F♯–G♯–A♯–C♯. 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.
Changing from F♯add9 to the chords around it
Songs rarely hold F♯add9 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- B (IV in F♯ major): F♯add9 to B: play B in 2nd inversion (F♯–B–D♯) and F♯ stays under the same finger, while A♯ moves up to B and C♯ up to D♯. B on piano
- C♯ (V in F♯ major): F♯add9 to C♯: play C♯ in root position (C♯–E♯–G♯) and C♯ and G♯ stay under the same fingers, while A♯ moves up to E♯. C♯ on piano
- E♭m (vi in F♯ major): F♯add9 to E♭m: play E♭m in 1st inversion (G♭–B♭–E♭) and G♭ and B♭ stay under the same fingers, while C♯ moves up to E♭. E♭m on piano
F♯add9 is F♯ major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. F♯add9 keeps the major sound and adds sparkle, which makes it a drop-in replacement for F♯ in quiet passages. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short F♯add9 drill
Play F♯add9 broken, one key at a time: F♯, A♯, C♯, G♯, C♯, A♯, F♯. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume.
The keys of F♯add9
F♯add9 is a add 9 chord, 1–3–5–9 from F♯. Root position, from the bottom: how F♯add9 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A♯ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| C♯ | black key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| G♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | ninth |
You may also see it as G♭add9; nothing changes on the piano.
F♯add9 in context
F♯add9 on guitar and ukulele
F♯add9 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Next to try on piano
Other add 9 chords
F♯add9 on piano: questions
What notes are in F♯add9 on piano?
F♯, A♯, C♯ and G♯: F♯ (black key), A♯ (black key), C♯ (black key) and G♯ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play F♯add9 on piano?
Press F♯, A♯, C♯ and G♯ together, all black keys. Right hand: 1 on F♯, 2 on A♯, 3 on C♯ and 5 on G♯.
What are the inversions of F♯add9?
F♯add9 is usually played in root position (F♯–A♯–C♯–G♯) or as a close voicing (F♯–G♯–A♯–C♯).
What does F♯add9 look like on the keyboard?
black, black, black and black keys.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside F♯add9. Updated September 2026.