Chord & FretC11 on electric guitar
On the electric guitar a chord needs only a few clear notes — the amp sustains them and fills the space, so you mute the strings you are not playing and let the tone carry the rest. In this C11 voicing the bass is C and the shape sits at fret 3, ringing 1 open string. Plugged into an amp, each chord sustains for as long as you hold it, and the tone — clean or driven — shapes the whole sound.
Notes in C11: C – E – G – Bb – D – FFormula: 1 – 3 – 5 – b7 – 9 – 11In 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.
Where to use it: Gospel, soul and funk; a dominant that would rather wait than resolve.
This is just one shape of C11 on electric guitar. In Chord & Fret, you hear every shape strummed string by string, in the instrument's own voice; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and set a capo — the diagrams redraw above it. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.
See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →Part of the Extended family.