Badd9 Guitar Chord

Badd9 is the B added ninth chord. It has four notes: B, D♯, F♯ and C♯. The standard shape is a four string grip with the root on the D string at the 9th fret and no barre. B has no open strings to offer an add9, so the chord lives up the neck.

Four fingers on the top four strings between the 7th and 9th frets, root on the D string. No barre: the same movable add9 grip found anywhere on the neck.

How to play Badd9, step by step

Index finger: 7th fret, B string
Middle finger: 8th fret, G string
Ring finger: 9th fret, D string
Pinky finger: 9th fret, high E string
Strum from the D string down, skipping the two lowest strings.

The grip is movable: one fret down it plays Bbadd9, and the identical fingering at the 2nd to 4th frets plays F#add9.

More ways to play Badd9

There are 2 common Badd9 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Badd9 guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 11 to 14, played x 14 13 11 14 x — Compact, frets 11 to 14

If it buzzes or sounds wrong

The low strings rumble in: The low E and A strings are not part of the shape. Start the strum at the D string and let the ring finger lean back to keep the A string quiet.
The C sharp on top is weak: The pinky shares the 9th fret with the ring finger and tends to land flat. Press with its tip, right behind the fret, so the ninth rings out.
Fingers crowd each other: The frets are narrow at the 9th fret. Keep the thumb low behind the neck and drop the fingers in from above so each one has its own lane.

What makes it a Badd9

B · D♯ · F♯ · C♯ 1 3 5 9

Badd9 is a B major triad (B, D♯, F♯) with a C sharp added, the ninth. The ninth is the second note of the B scale moved up an octave, and since the third (D♯) remains, the chord stays major and simply gains shimmer.

It does the same jobs plain B does: the I chord in the key of B, the IV chord in F sharp, the V chord in E. The V of E is the job guitarists meet most, since E is home ground for the instrument.

Badd9 vs Bsus2

Both chords add a C sharp to B, but Bsus2 removes the third (D♯) to make room for it, while Badd9 keeps the third and stacks the C sharp on top. Badd9 is still unmistakably B major, just brighter; Bsus2 is hollow and unresolved.

Bsus2 is a barre grip, while the standard Badd9 here is four separate fingers, so despite living high on the neck the add9 is often the cleaner chord to land.

Badd9 chord questions

Why is Badd9 played so high on the neck?

B has no open position add9 shape. The four string grip with the root on the D string lands at the 7th to 9th frets, which is the lowest clean way to get all four notes.

Is Badd9 hard to play?

The grip itself is moderate: four separate fingers, no barre. The position is the real adjustment, since the frets are narrower at the 9th fret than near the nut.

What is the difference between Badd9 and B9?

B9 also contains an A, the flat seventh, which makes it a dominant chord with a blues flavour. Badd9 adds only the C sharp and stays a bright major chord.

What is the difference between Badd9 and Bsus2?

Both contain a C sharp, but Bsus2 removes the third (D♯) and floats, while Badd9 keeps the third and still sounds fully major.

Where is Badd9 used?

As a brighter B in the keys of B and E. Songs in E that want the V chord to shimmer instead of just push are the classic spot.