Skip to content
Chord & Fret

B11 — dominant eleventh

Notes in B11: B – D# – F# – A – C# – EFormula: 1 – 3 – 5 – b7 – 9 – 11

In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.

The dominant stretched to the eleventh. In practice the third steps aside, because it and the fourth clash a semitone apart; what remains is a wide, almost suspended chord.

The same chord on all four instruments

B11, x 2 2 2 2 0B111111×BEAC#E
Guitar
B11, x 2 2 2 2 0B111111×BEAC#E
Electric guitar
B11, 9 9 10 11B1191123BEAC#
Cavaquinho
B11, 4 1 0 0B1121BC#EA
Ukulele

Where to use it: Gospel, soul and funk; a dominant that would rather wait than resolve.

This is just one shape of B11. In Chord & Fret, you check it note by note, playing any shape as an arpeggio; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and change the tuning — the shape rewrites itself. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.

See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →

Part of the Extended family.

Other chords in this family

Bmaj9B9Bm9Bm11B13Bmaj9(#11)Bmaj11Bmaj13Bm13Bm(maj9)

See all chord types and qualities →