A#add9 Chord on Ukulele
A#add9 = A# – D – F – C (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 9th)
Nothing gets removed from the Bb major triad to make Bbadd9 — a ninth, C, simply lands on top of it, and reaching that fourth note takes four independent fingers with no shortcuts: index finger on the E string's first fret, middle finger on the C string's second fret, ring finger on the G string's third fret, and pinky stretched to the A string's third fret, an outer pair sharing a fret number while the C string's own note sits at a different fret between them.
Open, chiming pop writing owes a lot to exactly this kind of voicing, where a ninth sits comfortably above the root and third without ever crowding the chord's plain major identity. Bbadd9 can slot in almost anywhere Bb major already functions — as a borrowed bVII in the key of C it dresses up an already-colorful chromatic chord with extra shimmer, and as the I chord of Bb's own key it lifts the tonic while leaving its major character untouched. What separates it from an actual Bb9 is the missing flattened seventh, Ab; leave that note out and the chord stays fully consonant, which is exactly why it reads bright rather than bluesy. Because every note in this shape is independently fretted rather than barred, add9 chords across the whole ukulele fretboard tend to demand more finger independence than they might appear to need on paper, and Bbadd9 is a clear example of that pattern.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Work through the fingers in sequence rather than dropping them all together: index finger on the E string first, since it holds down the lowest fret, then the middle finger on the C string, and only then the ring and pinky fingers stretching out to the third fret on the G and A strings — sharing a fret number doesn't mean they act like a barre, since the C string's note sits at a completely different fret squeezed between them. That C string note is the one most likely to get muted by accident, so listen for it specifically, and try alternating this chord with plain Bb major to isolate exactly what the added ninth contributes. Once the four-finger placement feels secure, practice lifting off entirely and re-placing all four at once, since that full release-and-reset motion is what a real strumming pattern will actually demand.
Common Progressions
- bVIIadd9, a brighter borrowed chord in the key of C (Bbadd9 in place of plain Bb)
- Iadd9 – IV – V, in the key of Bb (Bbadd9 – Eb – F)
- vi – IV – Iadd9 – V (Gm – Eb – Bbadd9 – F)
- Bbadd9 often substitutes for a plain tonic chord at a song's closing cadence.
FAQ
- What's the difference between Bbadd9 and Bb9?
- The triad underneath stays untouched either way, but Bb9 layers in the flattened seventh, Ab, on top of what Bbadd9 offers, pulling the sound toward something bluesier and less resolved than the add9 version.
- Why does this shape need four fingers with none sharing a barre?
- Two of its notes land on the third fret but on non-adjacent strings, with a different fret's note sitting between them on the C string, so a flat barre would catch the wrong note and can't be used here.
- Where does Bbadd9 typically get used?
- As a brighter substitute for plain Bb major, especially when Bb itself is already functioning as a borrowed bVII chord in the key of C and the arrangement wants extra shimmer on that color.
- Which note carries the add9's distinctive brightness?
- The C note added on top of the triad — comparing this shape directly against plain Bb major, played back to back, makes that added ring easy to hear.
- Is Bbadd9 harder to switch into than plain Bb major?
- Somewhat, since it needs four independent fingers rather than a three-finger shape with a barre, so it works best practiced on its own before being dropped into a fast chord progression.
- Do add9 and sus2 chords sound similar, since both involve a second above the root?
- They're related but distinct — sus2 removes the third entirely, leaving the chord ambiguous, while add9 keeps the third intact and simply layers the ninth on top, so add9 stays clearly major where sus2 does not.
A#add9 on other instruments: A#add9 on Guitar, A#add9 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.