The Dadd9 chord contains D, F♯, A and E, with formula 1–3–5–9. It retains the major third F♯ and adds E without adding a seventh. Compare two root-bass layouts and try the two practice tasks.
Read the Dadd9 chord as a D major triad plus E. The higher example uses D3–F♯3–A3–E4; the lower example uses D3–E3–F♯3–A3. The pitch classes stay the same while E moves down an octave. The add9/add2 notation hint describes these examples, rather than a universal spacing rule.
The examples below are complete four-note references. They do not list every omission a performer might make.
Two explicitly authored root-bass spacing examples; this is not a claim that added-note chords cannot be inverted.
For the Dadd9 chord, Build the chord tones checks D, F♯, A and E in any octave. Match this example checks the four selected pitches and their registers. The feedback distinguishes an incorrect note from correct chord tones played in different octaves.
Use D, F♯, A, E. The formula is 1–3–5–9. Keep the F♯ third: removing it changes the note collection to a suspended shape.
The list above names the chord members. For a specific register, read the octave numbers on the selected example below.
Start with D3 – F♯3 – A3 – E4. Then switch to D3 – E3 – F♯3 – A3. The E moves down one octave while the other three notes stay in place.
Both examples keep D as the lowest note. This comparison changes spacing, not the bass. It is a pair of reference examples, not a complete inversion catalogue.
| Example | Notation hint | Notes, low to high | Bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Added note higher (9th layout), current selection | Dadd9 | D3–F♯3–A3–E4 | D3 |
| Added note lower (2nd layout) | Dadd2 | D3–E3–F♯3–A3 | D3 |
Here, the higher layout is labelled Dadd9; the inside-the-triad layout is shown with the Dadd2 notation hint. This follows the textbook illustration, not a claim that every player uses the labels identically.
Musicca also lists add2 as an alternative add9 label. For an exact arrangement, use the written pitches or score. For a note-identification exercise, separate the chord members from their octaves.
This page's complete added-note examples include the third and no seventh. A ninth-chord formula includes a seventh; a sus2 collection omits the third. Compare the note lists, not just the number 9 in a symbol.
| Symbol | Notes or formula | Third | Seventh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dadd9 | D–F♯–A–E | Included | Not included |
| D9 | 1–3–5–♭7–9 | Included | Included |
| Dsus2 | 1–2–5 | Not included | Not included |
Read D, F♯, A, E as four chord members. The E is the added member; it is not a finger number or a new key signature.
Octave numbers such as C4 locate a register. They are separate from scale degrees and finger numbers.
First choose the four note names in Dadd9, in any octave. Next select Match this example and reproduce the specific notes displayed. Correct chord tones in different octaves should receive a spacing hint, not a message that the chord itself is wrong.
These browser exercises check your selection on this page, not a performance on an acoustic piano. Fingerings are not supplied; the diagrams are not a prescribed one-hand stretch.
The reference brings together the formula, both keyboard layouts and their octave labels. Use it beside your keyboard when comparing the two examples.
The Dadd9 chord diagrams locate keys and registers without prescribing fingers or a one-hand shape. Both supplied layouts keep D in the bass. Read F♯ as the major third; F natural would change the chord quality rather than its spacing.
Read left- and right-hand finger numbersOpen Music Theory / VIVA Open Publishing
Supports: Added-note symbols do not imply a seventh; Cadd9 and Cadd2 illustrate different placements of D.
Scope: Theory and naming reference only. The transposed keyboard layouts on this page are PianoGrid examples; no fingering is assigned.
PianoChord.org
Supports: Major and minor add9/add2 construction and naming.
Scope: Theory and naming reference only. The transposed keyboard layouts on this page are PianoGrid examples; no fingering is assigned.
D, F♯, A and E. The Dadd9 chord keeps the major third F♯ and adds the ninth E to a D major triad. It does not add a seventh.
The Dadd9 chord contains no seventh. D9 includes C natural, the minor seventh, in its full 1–3–5–♭7–9 formula. Read the chord members before choosing an arrangement.
No. The Dadd9 chord includes F♯ as its third. Dsus2 contains D, E and A without F♯. Removing the third changes the pitch-class collection; moving E to another octave does not.
The Dadd9 chord can use different spacings. Compare E4 above the triad with E3 inside it. This page gives the lower example a Dadd2 notation hint; exact written pitches remain the guide to a particular arrangement.
Your note names are correct but their octaves differ from the selected example. Build the chord tones accepts octave differences. Match this example also asks you to reproduce the displayed registers.
No. The two supplied examples keep D lowest and change the placement of E. They illustrate spacing without listing every possible voicing or inversion. No finger numbers or required hand shape are assigned.
First choose the four note names in Dadd9, in any octave. Next select Match this example and reproduce the specific notes displayed. Correct chord tones in different octaves should receive a spacing hint, not a message that the chord itself is wrong.
These browser exercises check your selection on this page, not a performance on an acoustic piano. Fingerings are not supplied; the diagrams are not a prescribed one-hand stretch.
Choose D, F♯, A, E, in any octave.
Chord tones: D–F♯–A–E · Formula: 1, 3, 5, 9
Dots mark the notes to play. C4 is middle C. Numbers identify octaves, not fingers.