Dadd9 chord
Dadd9 is D, F♯, A and E: 1–3–5–9 built on D. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
x-5-4-2-5-x · movable · medium
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- First shape
- x-5-4-2-5-x
Dadd9 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · D–F♯–A–E · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
Dadd9 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
2-4-2-5 · movable · medium
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- First shape
- 2-4-2-5
Changing out of Dadd9
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- Dadd9 → G (IV in D major)
Guitar: Dadd9 (x-5-4-2-5-x) to G (3-2-0-0-0-3): your index finger lands on the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the low E string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. The two chords share D, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: Dadd9 to G: play G in 2nd inversion (D–G–B) and D stays under the same finger, while F♯ moves up to G and A up to B. G - Dadd9 → A (V in D major)
Guitar: Dadd9 (x-5-4-2-5-x) to A (x-0-2-2-2-0): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared notes: A and E.
Piano: Dadd9 to A: play A in root position (A–C♯–E) and A and E stay under the same fingers, while F♯ moves up to C♯. A - Dadd9 → Bm (vi in D major)
Guitar: Dadd9 (x-5-4-2-5-x) to Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the B string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the D string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. D and F♯ carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: Dadd9 to Bm: play Bm in 1st inversion (D–F♯–B) and D and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while A moves up to B. Bm
Guitar with a capo: capo 2, Cadd9 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 2, Cadd9 shape.
How Dadd9 is built
Dadd9 is D major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. It keeps the bright major sound and adds a shimmer; guitarists love it because the open shapes ring.
Count keys (black and white) from D: 4 half steps up to F♯, 3 half steps up to A then 7 half steps up to E.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | root | 0 | |
| F♯ | major third | 4 | |
| A | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| E | ninth | 14 |
Keys and progressions with Dadd9
Dadd9 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
Chords close to Dadd9
Chords that share most of their notes with Dadd9: D9, D, Dsus2, Asus4, D7, Dmaj7.
Every D chord
Dadd9 chord: questions
What notes are in the Dadd9 chord?
D, F♯, A and E. Dadd9 is built 1–3–5–9 from D: F♯ is the major third, A is the perfect fifth and E is the ninth.
How do you play Dadd9 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-5-4-2-5-x (movable). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play Dadd9 on piano?
Play D, F♯, A and E with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. D sits between the two black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play Dadd9 on ukulele?
2-4-2-5 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is Dadd9 in?
Dadd9 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
What's the difference between Dadd9 and D?
Dadd9 is D plus E.
All three instruments are drawn and played from D, F♯, A and E by the same engine. Updated September 2026.