As the VA major
- ii7Bm7
- V11E11
- Imaj7Amaj7
E11 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
E11 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E11 chord is a dominant eleventh chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, B, D, F♯ and A.
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
- E · B · D · F♯ · A
- Formula
- 1 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11
- Semitones
- 0 · 7 · 10 · 14 · 17
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Dominant 11
- Symbol
- E11
E11 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E11 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, index finger on B, middle finger on D, ring finger on F♯ and little finger on A. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard F♯ is a black key and E, B, D and A are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- B5
- D♭7
- F♯9
- A11
E11 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E11 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 6, 5, 4 and 2 ring open.
E · B · D · F♯ · A
Play E11 on the online piano
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E11 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F♯(F#) | |
| 11 | Perfect eleventh | 17 | A |
How to use the E11 chord
The E11 chord is built from a root, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a perfect eleventh. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, B, D, F♯ and A. 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 E11 differs from similar chords
E11 stacks a ninth and an eleventh on E7, 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 E7sus4 with a ninth. It differs from E13, which keeps the third and adds the sixth an octave up.
Where E11 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 E11 chord?
- The E11 chord contains E, B, D, F♯ and A (E, B, D, F# and A in plain text).
- Is the E11 chord major or minor?
- E11 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 E11 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, B, D, F♯ and A 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 F♯ is a black key and E, B, D and A are white.
- How do you play E11 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 6, 5, 4 and 2 ring open.
- What chords work well with E11?
- E11 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.