B♯11 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯11 chord is a dominant eleventh chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, F𝄪, A♯, C𝄪 and E♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as C11.
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
- B♯ · F𝄪 · A♯ · C𝄪 · E♯
- Formula
- 1 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11
- Semitones
- 0 · 7 · 10 · 14 · 17
- Note
- B♯
- Quality
- Dominant 11
- Symbol
- B♯11
B♯11 on piano
5 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♯11 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♯, index finger on F𝄪, middle finger on A♯, ring finger on C𝄪 and little finger on E♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♯ is a black key and B♯, F𝄪, C𝄪 and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call C, G, D and F. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- F𝄪5
- A♯♭7
- C𝄪9
- E♯11
B♯11 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯11 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 3: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · F𝄪 · A♯ · C𝄪 · E♯
Play B♯11 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯11 chord notes
Also known as C11
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♯(A#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C𝄪(C##) | |
| 11 | Perfect eleventh | 17 | E♯(E#) |
How to use the B♯11 chord
The B♯11 chord is built from a root, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a perfect eleventh. Start at the root B♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♯, F𝄪, A♯, C𝄪 and E♯. 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 B♯11 differs from similar chords
B♯11 stacks a ninth and an eleventh on B♯7, 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 B♯7sus4 with a ninth. It differs from B♯13, which keeps the third and adds the sixth an octave up.
Where B♯11 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯11 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯11 chord?
- The B♯11 chord contains B♯, F𝄪, A♯, C𝄪 and E♯ (B#, F##, A#, C## and E# in plain text).
- Is the B♯11 chord major or minor?
- B♯11 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 B♯11 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♯, F𝄪, A♯, C𝄪 and E♯ 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 A♯ is a black key and B♯, F𝄪, C𝄪 and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call C, G, D and F.
- How do you play B♯11 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 3: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯11 chord?
- B♯11 is enharmonically equivalent to C11. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.