F♯add9 chord on guitar

F♯add9 is F♯, A♯, C♯ and G♯. The usual shape is x-x-4-3-2-4. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

How to play F♯add9 on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-4-3-2-4, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 2nd fret:

1. Put your index finger on the B string at the 2nd fret, which is C♯.
2. Put your middle finger on the G string at the 3rd fret, which is A♯.
3. Put your ring finger on the D string at the 4th fret, which is F♯.
4. Put your pinky finger on the high E string at the 4th fret, which is G♯.
5. Skip the low E and A strings and begin the strum from the D string.

• The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
• Only four strings sound, so strum from the string marked first and aim your pick at the treble strings.

Other ways to play F♯add9

• x-9-8-6-9-x: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. This is the open Aadd9 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
• 14-11-11-13-11-14: partial barre shape at the 11th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

F♯add9 the capo way

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Eadd9 shape (0-2-4-1-0-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open Cadd9 shape (x-3-2-0-3-0). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Moving between F♯add9 and its neighbours

These are the changes you'll meet most often with F♯add9, using the first shape of each chord.

• B (IV in F♯ major): F♯add9 (x-x-4-3-2-4) to B (x-2-4-4-4-2): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 4th fret, the ring finger slides across to the G string at the same fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share F♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. B on guitar
• C♯ (V in F♯ major): F♯add9 (x-x-4-3-2-4) to C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 6th fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 6th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared notes: C♯ and G♯. C♯ on guitar
• E♭m (vi in F♯ major): F♯add9 (x-x-4-3-2-4) to E♭m (x-x-1-3-4-2): the index finger goes to the D string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for F♯ and A♯, which stay put while the rest moves. E♭m on guitar

F♯add9 is F♯ major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. F♯add9 keeps the major sound and adds sparkle, which makes it a drop-in replacement for F♯ in quiet passages. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Practice F♯add9 in two minutes

Before strumming, play x-x-4-3-2-4 note by note: F♯ then A♯ then C♯ then G♯. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-x-4-3-2-4 and x-9-8-6-9-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

You may also see it as G♭add9; nothing changes on the guitar.

Keys and progressions with F♯add9

F♯add9 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try F♯add9 on ukulele or F♯add9 on piano, or compare them on the F♯add9 chord page.

Related F♯ chords on guitar

• F♯
• F♯9
• F♯sus2
• F♯maj7

Other add 9 chords

• Cadd9
• C♯add9
• Dadd9
• E♭add9
• Eadd9
• Fadd9
• Gadd9
• A♭add9
• Aadd9
• B♭add9
• Badd9

Every shape above plays only F♯, A♯, C♯ and G♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026. Print this chord