Dmadd9

Dmadd9 is D, F, A and E, a minor add nine. The shape this page opens on is written x53230, lowest string first.

Also written Dm(add9), Dmin(add9) or D-add9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for Dmadd9 on the guitar, and 26 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Dmadd9 belongs to C major (the ii), D minor (the i), F major (the vi) and A minor (the iv).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x53230, x5325x, x53x55, x57760, x8775x, 10-8-x-9-10-x, 10-12-12-10-10-12, x-x-12-10-10-12, x-x-15-14-15-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Dmadd9 has xx2231, x7776x, x-x-12-10-10-12, 12-12-12-10-x-x, x-x-14-14-15-13, 1522xx, x5325x, xx3755.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Dmadd9 has x5x251, 1x223x, 5x375x, x7x765, 10-x-7-9-6-x, x-8-x-9-10-10, 12-x-12-10-10-x, 13-x-14-14-15-x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Dmadd9 has 00076x, x00760, 0032xx, 0x0760.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.