D♭m(add9) contains D♭, F♭, A♭, E♭. Use 1–♭3–5–9 and do not add a seventh.
On this page, add9 and add2 label the same added note in different notation rather than two separate chords.
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.
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 D♭3 – F♭3 – A♭3 – E♭4. Then switch to D♭3 – E♭3 – F♭3 – A♭3. 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 | D♭m(add9) | D♭3–F♭3–A♭3–E♭4 | D♭3 |
| Added note lower (2nd layout) | D♭m(add2) | D♭3–E♭3–F♭3–A♭3 | D♭3 |
Here, the higher layout is labelled D♭m(add9); the inside-the-triad layout is shown with the D♭m(add2) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| D♭m(add9) | D♭–F♭–A♭–E♭ | Included | Not included |
| D♭m9 | 1–♭3–5–♭7–9 | Included | Included |
| D♭sus2 | 1–2–5 | Not included | Not included |
This formula needs F♭ (the E key). The displayed letter names follow the degree spelling; the keyboard highlight follows the sounding pitch.
Octave numbers such as C4 locate a register. They are separate from scale degrees and finger numbers.
First choose the four note names in D♭m(add9), 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 keyboard and octave labels show the pitches to compare, but they do not prescribe a one-hand shape.
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♭, E♭; the formula is 1–♭3–5–9.
No seventh is included in the complete added-note examples on this page.
The higher-note layout is our first example, not a universal position rule. Symbols may be used differently; an exact written voicing specifies the register.
Build the chord tones checks note names without octaves. Match this example checks the displayed pitches, so the two exercises have different targets.
No. These two examples both have the root in the bass. Other arrangements are possible but are not catalogued here.
First choose the four note names in D♭m(add9), 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.