Ukulele · add9
Cadd9 Chord on Ukulele
Cadd9 is C, E, G, D — the 1-3-5-9 pattern of a add9 chord. There are 2 ways to play it on ukulele, ranked below from easiest to hardest.
Good news: Cadd9 has an open shape on ukulele, so you can play it without barring anything. Start there and work up the neck later.
Start here — Standard Position
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
Easier ways to play it — 2 shapes, easiest first
Same chord in all of them. What changes is how much your hand has to do and where on the neck it sits.
Standard Position Way 1 of 2
Standard Position
Easiest here· beginner· the standard shape
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
Alternative Way 2 of 2
Alternative
intermediate
Fingered low on the neck with no barre — a useful middle step between the open shape and the movable ones.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Standard Position — open position, so several strings ring unfretted.
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
Songs that turn on this chord
- WonderwallOasischorus — opening chord
Cadd9 on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on ukulele.
Cadd9 on Ukulele — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play Cadd9 on ukulele?
“Standard Position” — which we rate beginner — is the easiest Cadd9 shape on ukulele. Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
What notes are in the Cadd9 chord?
Cadd9 is C, E, G, D — the 1-3-5-9 interval pattern of a add9 chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
How many ways can you play Cadd9 on ukulele?
This page has 2 Cadd9 voicings for ukulele, ranked from easiest to hardest: Standard Position, Alternative. They all sound like Cadd9; the differences are how hard they are to hold and how high they sit.
What can I play instead of Cadd9?
The nearest stand-ins on ukulele that keep the same root are Csus4, Csus2, C. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play Cadd9 on other instruments?
Yes. Cadd9 is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano, mandolin.
Learn the theory behind Cadd9
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.
Chord Inversions and Slash Chords — Same Notes, Different Attitude
Suspending or adding a tone is a voicing decision, the same kind as an inversion or a slash chord.
5 min read
Chord Progressions Explained
These chords earn their keep inside a progression, leaning on the plain chord that follows.
7 min read
Intervals — The Only Music Theory You Actually Need
Which degree got swapped in, and what that one interval changes.
5 min read