My Chord Finder
Gadd9
G2 (1) · B2 (3) · D3 (5) · A3 (9) · B3 (3) · G4 (1)
Gadd9 guitar chord
Gadd9 is G, B, D and A — degrees 1, 3, 5 and 9. G major is G, B and D, so the extra note is A, a whole step above G; the third B stays.
Gadd9
G2 (1) · A2 (9) · D3 (5) · A3 (9) · B3 (3) · G4 (1)
Gadd9
G2 (1) · B2 (3) · D3 (5) · A3 (9) · D4 (5) · G4 (1)
Gadd9 is G, B, D, A (1, 3, 5, 9). G major is G, B, D: the ninth A is added a whole step above the root, and the third B stays.
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings.
One string turns G into Gadd9
The tool opens on Gadd9. Press G and the third string of the first diagram falls back to the open G. Press Gsus2 and the B on the fifth string drops out in that diagram. The diagrams rewrite their frets, notes and degrees with the button.
Gadd9 is G with the G string raised to A
G major is G, B and D, fretted 3 2 0 0 0 3: G on the sixth-string third fret, B on the fifth-string second fret, open D, open G, open B, and G on the first-string third fret. The third string in that grip is an open G3, a doubled root.
Raise that third string two frets and G3 becomes A3. The new code is 3 2 0 2 0 3, sounding G2, B2, D3, A3, B3 and G4. Search boxes write gadd9, g add 9 guitar chord, g add 9 or g add 9 chord; they all point at G, B, D and A. The fifth-string second fret is still B, so the third never left.
That is the whole trick of this chord on guitar. You do not add a new bass note and you do not barre. You change one open string into a ninth and leave the G major frame around it.
The open Gadd9 and three neighbours
3 2 0 2 0 3 is the full open grip: ring on the sixth-string third fret, middle on the fifth-string second fret, index on the third-string second fret, pinky on the first-string third fret, with the fourth string open D and the second string open B. 3 0 0 2 0 3 is the lighter version — the fifth string is open A2, so the ninth appears twice (open A and third-string A) and the low B is gone.
3 2 0 2 3 3 keeps the low G–B–D–A and moves the second string to the third fret D4, doubling the fifth on top. 3 0 0 4 3 3 is the one row that does not put the ninth on the third string: that string is at the fourth fret for B3, and the ninth is the open fifth-string A2.
All four rows ring all six strings. Three of the four put A on the third-string second fret. None of them need a capo. If a chart you opened was in Open D, it is not these frets.
| Shape | Frets (low E to high E) | Sounding notes with degrees |
|---|---|---|
| Open position | 3 2 0 2 0 3 | G2 (1) · B2 (3) · D3 (5) · A3 (9) · B3 (3) · G4 (1) |
| Open position | 3 0 0 2 0 3 | G2 (1) · A2 (9) · D3 (5) · A3 (9) · B3 (3) · G4 (1) |
| Open position | 3 2 0 2 3 3 | G2 (1) · B2 (3) · D3 (5) · A3 (9) · D4 (5) · G4 (1) |
| Open strings with frets 3 to 4 | 3 0 0 4 3 3 | G2 (1) · A2 (9) · D3 (5) · B3 (3) · D4 (5) · G4 (1) |
Gadd9 rows list six numbers, thick low E first, thin high E last. Every sounding string is G, B, D or A. Marks for mute and open are on how to read guitar chords.
Gadd9 against G9 and Gsus2
Players look up add9 chord guitar when they want that extra ringing note on a G grip. On this page the extra note is A, two frets up the third string from the open G of a plain G chord. G9 would also need F, the minor seventh. Gadd9 has no F, which is why it still belongs in a G major song as a decorated I chord rather than as a dominant.
Gsus2 is G, A and D. The common open Gsus2 3 0 0 0 3 3 sounds G2, A2, D3, G3, D4 and G4: the fifth-string B is gone, and the third string is open G again. Gadd9 3 2 0 2 0 3 keeps that B on the fifth-string second fret and puts A on the third string instead. Same A pitch class, different missing note.
The G to Gadd9 move in a song
Inside one bar the change is G, Gadd9, G. G is 3 2 0 0 0 3 and Gadd9 is 3 2 0 2 0 3, so only the index finger on the third string goes down and up. Country intros and worship tags use that one-finger pulse because the bass G never moves.
As a full chord, Gadd9 stands in for G at the start of G–Em–C–D when you want the I chord to shimmer. Pair it with Cadd9 using 3 2 0 2 3 3 against X 3 2 0 3 3: both shapes hold D4 on the second-string third fret and G4 on the first-string third fret, so only the bass strings change.
Questions people ask about Gadd9
How do you play a g add 9 guitar chord?
Hold a G, then fret the third-string second fret with your index finger. The full code is 3 2 0 2 0 3, sounding G2, B2, D3, A3, B3 and G4. The A on the third string is the ninth.
What is the difference between G and Gadd9?
G is G, B and D. Gadd9 is G, B, D and A. On the neck the only required change is the third string: open G3 in the G shape, second-fret A3 in Gadd9. The fifth-string B stays.
Is Gadd9 the same as Gsus2?
No. Gsus2 drops the third B and keeps G, A and D. Gadd9 keeps the B and adds A. Switch the tool between Gadd9 and Gsus2 and listen for the B on the fifth string coming and going.
Does g add 9 need the space in the name?
No. gadd9, g add 9 and g add 9 chord are the same four notes. This page's title follows the spelling people type with guitar chord on the end.
Should Gadd9 resolve back to G?
It can, in the one-finger G–Gadd9–G move, because the A is a decoration. It can also sit as the I chord for a whole verse. Unlike a sus4, nothing in Gadd9 is pulling the third out of place.