G#add9 Chord on Ukulele
G#add9 = G# – C – D# – A# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 9th)
G#add9 keeps the full major triad intact and layers a ninth (A#) on top, unlike sus2 which removes the third to make room for that same note. The voicing frets the G string at the first fret, leaves the C string open (since open C is exactly the ninth this chord needs), and barres the E and A strings together at the sixth fret, putting the shape's one real stretch on that pair rather than spreading it across the whole hand.
Add9 chords carry a bright, shimmering color that pop and contemporary arrangements reach for constantly, since the ninth sits far enough above the triad to add sparkle without muddying the chord's basic major identity — unlike sus2, which sacrifices the third and leaves the chord's quality ambiguous, add9 keeps everything the major triad offers and simply extends it. G#add9 in particular gives this otherwise closed, all-fretted key family an extra note of color that doesn't change its underlying function as a borrowed bIII or as the V of C# minor; it's a decoration rather than a structural substitution. Because the open C string rings clearly here, this add9 voicing keeps more natural resonance than the plain G# major triad's fully closed shape.
Fingerings
Mid-Neck Position
How to Practice It
The barre across the E and A strings at the sixth fret is the one real reach in this shape, sitting well apart from the G string's first-fret note and the open C string, so bring the whole fretting-hand position up the neck for that barre rather than trying to stretch a single finger from a low-position hand angle. Because the C string stays open, check it isn't accidentally muted by a finger reaching past it toward the barre. Practice switching between plain G# major and G#add9, noticing that this substitution actually changes the hand's overall neck position rather than just swapping one finger, which makes it a less casual substitution than some of this key family's other decorated chords.
Common Progressions
- bIII(add9) – IV, using G#add9 as a colored borrowed chord in E major
- G#add9 substituting for plain G# major in a bVI–bIII cadence
- V(add9) – i, coloring the dominant of C# minor with an added ninth
- G#add9 – C#m7, pairing two color-tone chords for a softer resolution
FAQ
- How does G#add9 differ from G#sus2?
- Add9 keeps the full triad — root, third, and fifth — and adds the ninth on top, while sus2 removes the third entirely and replaces it with that same upper note, leaving the chord's major-or-minor identity ambiguous.
- Why does G#add9 use the open C string?
- Open C's natural pitch happens to be exactly the ninth this chord needs, letting one note ring for free while the rest of the shape handles the root, third, and fifth.
- Why does the barre in G#add9 sit so far up the neck?
- The seventh and third of the chord don't cluster near the open position together, so the lowest convenient barre that supplies both without a foreign note lands at the sixth fret.
- Does G#add9 change the chord's harmonic function?
- No — it still works as a borrowed bIII color chord or as the V of C# minor exactly like plain G# major, just with an extra color tone layered on top rather than a structural change.
G#add9 on other instruments: G#add9 on Guitar, G#add9 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.