Guitar chord shape query for 'add 9'
SepangBlue
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The official sheet music for the opening bars of the Eagles' song Hotel California runs thus:
Bm, F#7, Aadd9, E9, G, D, Em7, F#7 and back to Bm.
Most bedroom players (myself included) usually play a simpler sequence thus:
Bm, F#7, A, E, G, D, Em, F#7 and back to Bm.
My question is: How do you play an open Aadd9?
My illustrated guitar chord shape encyclopaedia shows the fingering for an A9, but I suspect that's a different chord altogether. I often come across chords written as something 'add 9' and I never know how to play a chord named that way.
My understanding is that there are root notes, thirds, fifths, sevenths, etc. in any chord, but I can't think where a ninth would come - I thought you shouldn't be able to go beyond eight, although I don't know where I might have got that from. (Needless to say, I'm not a musician as such, just a self taught noodler from many years back).
Help anyone, please?
Bm, F#7, Aadd9, E9, G, D, Em7, F#7 and back to Bm.
Most bedroom players (myself included) usually play a simpler sequence thus:
Bm, F#7, A, E, G, D, Em, F#7 and back to Bm.
My question is: How do you play an open Aadd9?
My illustrated guitar chord shape encyclopaedia shows the fingering for an A9, but I suspect that's a different chord altogether. I often come across chords written as something 'add 9' and I never know how to play a chord named that way.
My understanding is that there are root notes, thirds, fifths, sevenths, etc. in any chord, but I can't think where a ninth would come - I thought you shouldn't be able to go beyond eight, although I don't know where I might have got that from. (Needless to say, I'm not a musician as such, just a self taught noodler from many years back).
Help anyone, please?
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Comments
I think to add a 9 into a chord is the same as adding a 2nd. So for an A9, you need to add a B into the chord. I would just play a normal A and then take my finger off the B string so it is open. Or you could barre it at the 5th fret, play an E shape and then put your little finger on the 2nd fret of the high E string. I think!
Thanks for trying to help here, babelogue!
I have a funny feeling that 'Aadd9' is a different chord to a straight A9, but I might be wrong.
Your explanation of an A9 is spot on when it comes to the fifth fret barred version. The open string version however is rather awkward - at least for me it is - where you place your first finger on the second fret of the D string (E), second finger on the second fret of the B string (C#), the ring finger goes on the third fret of the top E string (G) and - here's where I find it awkward - the pinky goes on the fourth fret of the G string (B). Only the top five strings are played (open bottom E is silent), thus it's possible to play it with a barre across the second fret which leaves second and ring fingers to pick out the other notes of the chord.
The notes really need to ring out with Hotel California, so playing as many chords in the open versions as possible, especially on my 12-string, results in a more authentic sound.
http://www.guitarhabits.com/how-to-play-and-apply-add9-chords/#
When it comes to chords you can indeed have 9ths and for that matter 11th's and 13ths. Keyboard players use them the most frequently, but it is certainly possible to play them on a guitar too.
Example: The C major scale would be the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. But we can keep going into the next octave of notes the following D, E, F would be considered the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and so on.
Now to make a C major chord (that would be the 1st, 3rd & 5th notes of the scale), the notes would therefore be C, E, G.
A "add 9" chord literally means that you have added a 9th note from the scale on top of these notes which in this example would be CEG + the D an octave above the other notes.
So what's the difference between an "add 9" chord and a "9th" chord then? Well a true 9th chord is much more complicated. Put simply they sound jazzy and are mainly used in that type of music. They are really a big stack of notes and are sometimes referred to as a "super chord."
9th chords really mean you are playing a "dominant" seventh chord- with a 9th on top of that stack of notes. So using the above example that would now be C, E, G, B flat (dominant means you flatten the note by a semi-tone) and then the D on top of that.
11th chords would be that stack with a 11th "F" note on top and 13ths are that growing stack with (you guessed it) the 13th "A" on top of that.
This is why I mentioned keyboard players are most likely to play these chords as they can hold down more notes with both hands than a guitarist can with 6 strings on a guitar. So how does a guitarist play them? Especially the 13th chord that would have 7 notes in it?
Simple solution. Even keyboard players would often leave out the 3rd and 5th notes when playing these chords as it makes them sound better. So guitar players use the same trick. Very useful when playing the 7 note 13th chord as you would have otherwise run out of strings
Hope that makes sense. Just google the chord shapes if you want further info and here's a nice little you-tube video explaining these chords on piano that makes the chord maths a little easier to understand as you can see it all visually:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c6IsNbh5FI
Hotel California was, apparently, originally composed in Em. And, although now in Bm you'll find some of the chord changes make a lot more sense if you capo the seventh fret and play 'Em' progressions. Especially if you want to emulate the finger style picking of the intro.
From that pov you'll find A add 9 is a simple Dmaj with an open E string.
Have a look at this for starters.
If you play with a couple of guitars in a band - probably one will play your simpler sequence low on the neck with no capo. The other will capo the seventh fret and play the 'Em' progression - hitting that high B (or open E with capo) to provide the high ninth.
To find any guitar chord, you can just "Google it."
"Aadd9."
Lots of choices, find the inversion that suits your tune.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=guitar+chords+open+Aadd9&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0vsvW7cPRAhWlDsAKHVEQCmYQsAQIIg&biw=1366&bih=635
Brilliant DARGON LANCE .. thank you so much for the lesson, which has made things a whole lot clearer for this non-musician with incipient arthritis in his fretting hand (damn the aging process!)
Thanks droogiefret .. as it happens I've been attempting to learn the note picking sequence for this, with the capo at the 7th fret, as shown on another YouTube video I unearthed myself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iqd8t4lqbA&nohtml5=False) . The Aadd9 is indeed as you say a Dmaj with an open E string.
Thanks for your video link .. I'll have a good look at that too. Once I've nailed it I'll transfer the newly learned skills to my 12-string - hopefully it'll sound just like the real thing! I'm finding it hard because, as a bass player, I've never learnt how to use a pick properly, so I'm trying to transfer the picking notes to finger style actions. And yes, you're quite right, I do have plenty of time on my hands
Oh definitely forget the plectrum - learn to finger pick - even if you can't get it exactly. I can't remember which YT I used now - but this one should do the job.
I learnt it as a part audition for a local Eagles tribute band. Took me a couple of days - going slow and sure. Well worth the effort.
Finish it off with a bit of chorus on your pedalboard!
Have fun.:)
Cheers droogiefret .. I've popped your link into favourites alongside the others I've saved. As I'm strictly an acoustic player I shall continue to be a legend in my own bedroom, but without the wizardry of a pedalboard!