Piano chord
C♯add9C sharp added ninth
- C♯1
- E♯3
- G♯5
- D♯9
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 14semitones
- Fingers
- 1-2-3-5
How to play C♯add9 on piano
- Find C♯: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on C♯, 2 on E♯, 3 on G♯, 5 on D♯.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on C♯, 4 on E♯, 3 on G♯, 1 on D♯.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – D♯
1st inversion · E♯ – G♯ – D♯ – C♯
2nd inversion · G♯ – D♯ – C♯ – E♯
3rd inversion · D♯ – C♯ – E♯ – G♯
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
C♯add9 inversions
C♯add9 can be played in 4 positions. In root position C♯ is at the bottom; each inversion moves the lowest note up an octave, so another chord tone becomes the bass.
- Root positionbass: C♯Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 1st inversionbass: E♯Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 2nd inversionbass: G♯Right hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 3rd inversionbass: D♯Right hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
C♯add9 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays C♯ an octave lower, the right hand plays C♯–E♯–G♯–D♯.
C♯add9 on other instruments
About the C♯add9 chord
C sharp added ninth has 4 notes: C♯ (1), E♯ (3), G♯ (5), D♯ (9). An added ninth: a major triad plus the ninth, without a seventh. It adds sparkle to a plain major chord and works anywhere the triad does.
Put your thumb on C♯ and count up: C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – D♯. The whole chord spans 14 semitones from bottom to top. That is wider than an octave, so most pianists split C♯add9: C♯ in the left hand, the upper notes in the right.
The inversions of C♯add9 keep the same notes in a new order. In the 1st inversion the bass is E♯ (E♯–G♯–D♯–C♯). In the 2nd inversion the bass is G♯ (G♯–D♯–C♯–E♯). In the 3rd inversion the bass is D♯ (D♯–C♯–E♯–G♯).
C♯add9 is C♯ with one note added: D♯.
Questions
What notes are in the C♯add9 chord?
C♯add9 (C sharp added ninth) has 4 notes: C♯ (1), E♯ (3), G♯ (5), D♯ (9).
How many inversions does C♯add9 have?
C♯add9 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (C♯–E♯–G♯–D♯); 1st inversion (E♯–G♯–D♯–C♯); 2nd inversion (G♯–D♯–C♯–E♯); 3rd inversion (D♯–C♯–E♯–G♯).
What is the difference between C♯add9 and C♯?
C♯add9 is C♯ with one note added: D♯.
Can I play C♯add9 with one hand?
In root position C♯add9 spans 14 semitones, more than an octave. Play the root with the left hand and the upper notes with the right, or leave out the fifth.