F♭11 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭11 chord is a dominant eleventh chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫. It's enharmonically the same chord as E11.
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
- F♭ · C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭ · B𝄫
- Formula
- 1 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11
- Semitones
- 0 · 7 · 10 · 14 · 17
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Dominant 11
- Symbol
- F♭11
F♭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 F♭11 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, index finger on C♭, 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 G♭ is a black key and F♭, C♭, E𝄫 and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call E, B, D and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- C♭5
- E𝄫♭7
- G♭9
- B𝄫11
F♭11 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭11 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 6, 5, 4 and 2 ring open.
F♭ · C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭ · B𝄫
Try F♭11 on the virtual piano
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F♭11 chord notes
Also known as E11
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | E𝄫(Ebb) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | G♭(Gb) | |
| 11 | Perfect eleventh | 17 | B𝄫(Bbb) |
How to use the F♭11 chord
The F♭11 chord is built from a root, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a perfect eleventh. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫. 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 F♭11 differs from similar chords
F♭11 stacks a ninth and an eleventh on F♭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 F♭7sus4 with a ninth. It differs from F♭13, which keeps the third and adds the sixth an octave up.
Where F♭11 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭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 F♭11 chord?
- The F♭11 chord contains F♭, C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫 (Fb, Cb, Ebb, Gb and Bbb in plain text).
- Is the F♭11 chord major or minor?
- F♭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 F♭11 on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫 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 G♭ is a black key and F♭, C♭, E𝄫 and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call E, B, D and A.
- How do you play F♭11 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 6, 5, 4 and 2 ring open.
- What is another name for the F♭11 chord?
- F♭11 is enharmonically equivalent to E11. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.