As the VD major
- ii7Em7
- V11A11
- Imaj7Dmaj7
A11 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
A11 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A11 chord is a dominant eleventh chord built on the root note A. Its notes are A, E, G, B and D.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Dominant eleventh chords sound wide and suspended. The eleventh sits a half step above the major third that would normally anchor the chord, a clash sharp enough that the third is left out entirely and the fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh do the talking.
- Notes
- A · E · G · B · D
- Formula
- 1 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11
- Semitones
- 0 · 7 · 10 · 14 · 17
- Note
- A
- Quality
- Dominant 11
- Symbol
- A11
A11 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A11 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A, index finger on D, middle finger on E, ring finger on G and little finger on B. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of A11 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A1
- D11
- E5
- G♭7
- B9
A11 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A11 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
A · E · G · B · D
Play A11 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
A11 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | B | |
| 11 | Perfect eleventh | 17 | D |
How to use the A11 chord
The A11 chord is built from a root, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a perfect eleventh. Start at the root A and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A, E, G, B and D. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant eleventh chords show up in modal jazz and gospel as a suspended, unresolved colour, often standing in for a sus4 with extra shimmer on top. They work best in slow-moving vamps rather than fast cadences.
How A11 differs from similar chords
A11 stacks a ninth and an eleventh on A7, and the eleventh is the same note as the fourth. Because that fourth clashes with the major third, the third is left out, so the chord sounds close to A7sus4 with a ninth. It differs from A13, which keeps the third and adds the sixth an octave up.
Where A11 is used
A dominant chord wants to resolve. Its home is the V of a major key - and the I of a blues, where the pull never lets up.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A11 chord?
- The A11 chord contains A, E, G, B and D.
- Is the A11 chord major or minor?
- A11 is a dominant eleventh chord. Dominant eleventh chords sound wide and suspended. The eleventh sits a half step above the major third that would normally anchor the chord, a clash sharp enough that the third is left out entirely and the fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh do the talking.
- How do you play A11 on piano?
- Place your fingers on A, E, G, B and D and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of A11 is a white key.
- How do you play A11 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with A11?
- A11 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.