How to play A♯6(add9)/B♯ chord on guitar
Shape 888a8a
Shape characteristics
Barre chord
Your first finger flattens across multiple strings at the same fret. Movable up and down the neck to any key without changing the shape.
Upper register · fret 8-10
Brighter, more focused tone with less low-end. Works well when layering over a bassist or second guitar, and integrates naturally with lead-line phrasing higher on the neck.
Full six-string voicing
All six strings ring, giving you the biggest, most resonant version of this chord, ideal for strumming and solo acoustic contexts.
Bass: C𝄪 · Top: D
The 3rd sits in the bass, softening the chord's feel and creating smooth stepwise bass motion when moving to nearby chords.
Compared to Shape 8a8a8a , this voicing uses a closed voicing.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 8th fret of the 2nd string, 4th string, 5th string, and 6th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 3rd finger on the 10th fret of the 3rd string
- 3 Place the 4th finger on the 10th fret of the 1st string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "888a8a" mean?
The sequence 888a8a is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this A♯6(add9)/B♯ shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a A♯6(add9)/B♯ chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for A♯6(add9)/B♯. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Other shapes
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