Sometimes a songwriter will want to use a new sound (i.e., not a basic chord or a seventh chord) but without the extra dissonance or complexity of a full extended chord. One way to achieve this is to take a basic chord and just add the ninth to it without the seventh. The resulting chord only has four notes in it instead of the five notes that there would be in a full ninth chord. These chords are called add9s because they are just a basic chord to which you have “added the ninth.” The result is a surprisingly beautiful sound and one of the most common types of embellished chords used in popular music. Add9 chords are notated with the word “add9” in parentheses next to the chord, e.g., V⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾, or F⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾. The following example lets you compare a V⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ to a Vsup9.
The most common chord to make an add9 is a IV, known as a IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾. IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾s contain scale degrees 4, 6, 1, and 5 (where scale degree 5 is the added ninth). Listen to the following example from “Nightminds” by Missy Higgins to hear how a IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ sounds.
For comparison, here is the same song but with the IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾s switched out with basic IVs:
Chords that have extra notes or other modifications like this are said to be “embellished” (the modification itself is known as an embellishment). Even though it is embellished, the IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ plays many of the same roles as its basic counterpart. For example, in the 1990s hit ballad “Dreaming of You,” Selena uses a IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ to bridge a I⁶₅ (I⁷ in first inversion) to a V⁶ (V in first inversion). Since both the I⁶₅ and the V⁶ contain scale degree 5, embellishing the IV chord with the added ninth creates a sense of continuity centered around scale degree 5 (note that scale degree 5 is stable in every chord of this progression).
Due to their pleasant and soothing quality, IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾s often show up in pop ballads, love songs, and show tunes (think Disney movie songs). This is not always the case though; you can find them across all genres. In the chorus of “3AM” by Matchbox Twenty, IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ is substituted for IV in the standard I → V → IV → V progression:
IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ is especially accessible on the guitar in certain keys. For example, in the key of G, a guitarist can switch between the I (G) and IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ (C⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾) in open position by shifting his or her pointer and middle fingers down one string. As a result, it’s something that is often stumbled on by people experimenting with different sounds their instrument can make ("this sounds great if I just move my finger down one string...")
In popular music, add9s are more commonly used with major chords. While major add9s have a sweet, almost magical quality to them when used in the right context, minor add9s have a much more dissonant sound. If you are trying for the pretty sound of the major add9 over a minor chord, it’s probably best to stick with the minor seventh chord instead, which has a more cool, mellow sound with less dissonance (see the chapter on seventh chords, for examples). “In The Fields” by Doug Hammer is a song that uses many add9s, both major and minor. You can really hear the dissonant minor add9 in the vi⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ chords contrast with the gushy feel from the major IV⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾ and V⁽ᵃᵈᵈ⁹⁾.
The theme to the soap opera The Young and the Restless is another good example of a song that uses lots of add9s in both major and minor chords. It also alternates between the basic form of the chord and the iadd9 version, making it a great way to compare the different sounds the chords make in the context of a real song:
In general, though (this example notwithstanding), add9 chords should be used sparingly. They have such a distinctive sound to them that when overused, they can easily make a song sound cheesy and overly dramatic (sometimes that’s the point, though!). Think of them as a little extra spice that, when used in the right amount, can make a song more interesting.
Check for Understanding
Add9 chords are very similar to their unembellished counterparts. One common way of achieving an iadd9 sound without explicitly using an add9 chord is to put the “ninth” in the melody. In his classic song, “My Heart Will Go On,” composer James Horner uses this technique to great effect. In the following excerpt, which chords have the “ninth” in the melody?
Check for Understanding
For each of the following scale degrees, name an add9 chord where the given scale degree is the ninth (i.e., the given scale degree is the ninth scale degree relative to the bass of the chord).
5
2
7
3
♯4 (challenge problem)