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When I played a music meet a D+9 and a A7/5+. I have tried search in google, but didn't find it. Does anybody know that?

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    +1, as I've not seen either. D+9 could be D,F#,A,C,E#. Or D,F#,A#,C,E. A7/5+ could be A,C#,E#,G, maybe 'cos the slash is there, with the E# in the bass. Please post the section in question, there may be clues.
    – Tim
    Jan 30, 2015 at 13:29

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It has two different meanings in the context of chords . Traditionally, the '+' symbol is used to denote an augmented triad, however it is also used to represent a raised interval which is typically represented by a sharp (#).

The first one is most likely an augmented triad with a 9th. The second one just treat the '+' as a sharp where you would play an A7 with a #5.

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    A third, admittedly far less common, meaning is a microtonal accidental indicating to raise a pitch by a syntonic comma, or about 21.5 cents. Used by a number of extended just intonation composers like Ben Johnston. Obviously not what the OP was asking about, but it is an intriguing alternate meaning of the symbol.
    – Pat Muchmore
    Jan 29, 2015 at 22:41
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    At the risk of getting obnoxious, the "+" symbol actually has many meanings in music, such as LH pizzicato and stopped horn.
    – jjmusicnotes
    Jan 30, 2015 at 4:00
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    A futher meaning, especially encountered in baroque music, is an unspecific ornamentation (instead e.g. of a trill symbol).
    – guidot
    Jan 30, 2015 at 7:59
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    @rcd - consensus doesn't have to come into it. The OP is asking about chords, not tab.I've only ever seen it PROPERLY used as aug.Please show examples, I love to be proved wrong!
    – Tim
    Feb 2, 2015 at 23:02
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    @rcd Tim and Dom are both correct here, unfortunately you are incorrect. As it pertains to chords, "+" is for augmented triads / intervals / or in rarer cases, chord tones. In no way is it used in a scholar-accepted analytical system to represent "add" chords, which may be noted by saying "add" or "( )", as in "Em7(11)". An E9 chord is not a "power chord" unless you specifically omit the 3rd and 7th chord tones. Remember that TAB notation was developed by people and for people unable to read traditional music notation.
    – jjmusicnotes
    Feb 3, 2015 at 1:34
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It's an augmented triad, played by sharpening the fifth by a semitone.

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+= sharpened. Sharpened whatever. The number that has + in front of it(or by it) is raised by one semitone so +5 is a sharpened 5th and +9 is a sharpened 9th. The sign means augmented,when used in chord names, and the usual note that's augmented (taken up by a semitone) is the 5th. Thus A = A,C#,E, whereas A+ = A,C#,E#(F). It's common in jazz to alter 5ths and 9ths, so there is also an augmented 9th. Sometimes labelled +9, or aug9.

Note that '+' is different from 'add', even if it has the same connotation in maths.

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    I was tempted to down vote, when I realized you were correct... Perhaps a rewording would help, as I was initially responding to the first two short sentences without reading on.
    – amalgamate
    Jan 30, 2015 at 15:55
  • Thanks for that! I sometimes feel we have some fickle readers, so, yes, it would be prudent... Be interesting if the downvoters read the edit, too...
    – Tim
    Jan 30, 2015 at 16:03
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    I've never seen the + used in the context of #9. For example I see A#9(b5) but never A+9(b5) though in this context there would be no confusion. I have thus far in my life only seen the + refer to augmenting the 5th. Can you cite an example of your use?
    – user50691
    Apr 6, 2020 at 16:38
  • @ggcg - no, but I use it all the time, and have done for 20 odd yrs.Let's face it - what else could it be?
    – Tim
    Apr 6, 2020 at 18:00
  • Love to find out dv reason! Probably 'I don't understand this'.
    – Tim
    Sep 28, 2021 at 9:05
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It means either forget about the fifth and make the fifth sharp instead when it's added after the base chord, or make the note a half step higher when it's added to the chord.

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  • I've never seen + interpreted as forget about the 5th. Can you cite a reference, a theory book?
    – user50691
    Apr 6, 2020 at 16:36
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I think the answer is much simpler than all the things everyone is saying as far as popular music charts. What I have seen is that a D+9 chord is a D F# A and an E on top differing from a D9 chord which is a7th chord which is D F# A C E. An A7/5+ is something I have not seen. If they are saying play a 5th in the bass then they are saying add the E in the bass which is the fifth of an A chord. The+ plus may be simply to add the fifth. A + sign to me is just saying add one more note not add all the thirds up to that note.

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    This is completely wrong. The chord you describe as D F♯ A E is a Dadd9. Nobody who understands how to name chords ever writes this as D+9; it doesn't matter what kind of music you are talking about. + never means add a note in a chord name. It either indicates an augmented triad, or a sharped note. The answers and comments above make this clear.
    – user39614
    Apr 22, 2018 at 12:42
  • It's an augmented chord. I think you may want to delete your answer.
    – user50691
    Apr 6, 2020 at 16:35

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