C#add9 Chord on Ukulele
C#add9 = C# – F – G# – D# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 9th)
C# add9 asks for four independent fingers with no barre and no open string anywhere to lean on: the index finger takes the G string's first fret, the middle finger reaches to the C string's third fret for the ninth, the ring finger returns to the E string's first fret, and the pinky stretches out to the A string's fourth fret for the root. It's a genuine four-corner shape, arguably the most demanding of C#'s common color chords simply because nothing about it reduces to a shortcut.
Unlike a sus chord, add9 doesn't take anything away from the underlying triad — it leaves C# major's own third exactly where it is and simply stacks the ninth above it, so C#add9 sounds unambiguously like a richer, more textured C# major rather than a genuinely different color. Respelled as Dbadd9, it's the kind of voicing pop and singer-songwriter ukulele arrangements reach for when they want a lusher tonic chord without giving up a clear major identity. Because none of its four notes overlap with an open string, it also has a uniquely contained, fretted-everywhere character among C#'s chords — even C# major itself gets to use a barre, but this one asks for four fully independent placements.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Anchor the pinky's fourth-fret reach on the A string first, since it's the widest stretch, and build the remaining three fingers in around it rather than starting from the nut and working outward. Because the middle finger's third-fret note on the C string sits between two first-fret notes on the G and E strings, take care that its slightly higher position doesn't pull the whole hand out of a relaxed, arched shape. This chord rewards isolating on its own before trying to switch into it quickly from something simpler like plain C# major.
Common Progressions
- A richer stand-in for the plain tonic (C#add9 - F# - G# - C#add9)
- Respelled Dbadd9 - Ab - Bb - Dbadd9, the identical color in flat notation
- C#add9 - G#, a lush two-chord vamp under a simple melody
- IV - V - I(add9) (F# - G# - C#add9), landing on the fuller color.
FAQ
- Why does C#add9 need four fully independent fingers?
- None of its four notes overlap with an open string or a shared barre position, since the chord type itself — full triad plus ninth — simply requires more distinct pitches than most of C#'s other chords.
- How does C#add9 differ from C#sus2?
- Add9 keeps the major third intact and adds the ninth on top, sounding unambiguously major and fuller; sus2 removes the third entirely, sounding genuinely ambiguous rather than simply richer.
- What's the flat-key spelling of this chord?
- Dbadd9, the more commonly encountered name in charts adapted from flat-key material.
- Is C#add9 a beginner-friendly chord?
- Not especially — among C#'s common color chords, it's one of the more demanding, worth tackling once the plain triad and simpler shapes like C#sus2 feel secure.
- What's a good way to build up to the stretch?
- Anchor the pinky's fourth-fret reach on the A string first, then fill in the remaining three lower-fret notes around it rather than spreading all four fingers into position at once.
- Does C#add9 change the harmonic function of a progression?
- No — it contains every note of the plain major triad plus one extra color tone, so substituting it in doesn't alter what the song is doing harmonically, only its texture.
- Which finger placements does C#add9 share with plain C# major?
- None exactly — even though the G string's first fret happens to fall in the same place as part of C# major's own barre, here it's played by an independent finger rather than as part of a three-string barre, so the two shapes don't reuse a single identical finger motion.
- Is there a simplified version of this chord that drops the ninth for an easier reach?
- Yes — some players substitute plain C# major or C#6 when the four-finger stretch feels unmanageable mid-song, accepting a plainer color in exchange for a faster, more reliable chord change.
C#add9 on other instruments: C#add9 on Guitar, C#add9 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.