As the VF♯ major
- ii7G♯m7
- V11C♯11
- Imaj7F♯maj7
C♯11 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
C♯11 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯11 chord is a dominant eleventh chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, G♯, B, D♯ and F♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭11.
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
- C♯ · G♯ · B · D♯ · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11
- Semitones
- 0 · 7 · 10 · 14 · 17
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Dominant 11
- Symbol
- C♯11
C♯11 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♯11 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♯, index finger on G♯, middle finger on B, ring finger on D♯ and little finger on F♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard C♯, G♯, D♯ and F♯ are black keys and B is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♯1
- G♯5
- B♭7
- D♯9
- F♯11
C♯11 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯11 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
C♯ · G♯ · B · D♯ · F♯
Try C♯11 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♯11 chord notes
Also known as D♭11
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D♯(D#) | |
| 11 | Perfect eleventh | 17 | F♯(F#) |
How to use the C♯11 chord
The C♯11 chord is built from a root, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a perfect eleventh. Start at the root C♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♯, G♯, B, D♯ and F♯. 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 C♯11 differs from similar chords
C♯11 stacks a ninth and an eleventh on C♯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 C♯7sus4 with a ninth. It differs from C♯13, which keeps the third and adds the sixth an octave up.
Where C♯11 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 C♯11 chord?
- The C♯11 chord contains C♯, G♯, B, D♯ and F♯ (C#, G#, B, D# and F# in plain text).
- Is the C♯11 chord major or minor?
- C♯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 C♯11 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♯, G♯, B, D♯ and F♯ 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 C♯, G♯, D♯ and F♯ are black keys and B is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯11 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♯11 chord?
- C♯11 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭11. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.