A Add9 (Aadd9)
Notes in A Add9
Inversions
Same notes as A Add9, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.
Root position
A in the bass
1st inversion
C# in the bass
2nd inversion
E in the bass
3rd inversion
B in the bass
Open voicings
A close-position chord like A Add9 can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.
Drop 2
E on the bottom
Drop 3
C# on the bottom
Play A, C#, E and B together and you get A Add9.
Take a plain major triad and drop a ninth on top without adding a seventh underneath it, and the result is bright, open and thoroughly modern. Unlike a full ninth chord it never tips into jazzy territory, which is exactly why it's a staple of pop and singer-songwriter piano and guitar parts.