As the VC♯ major
- ii7D♯m7
- V11G♯11
- Imaj7C♯maj7
G♯11 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
G♯11 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯11 chord is a dominant eleventh chord built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, D♯, F♯, A♯ and C♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭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
- G♯ · D♯ · F♯ · A♯ · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11
- Semitones
- 0 · 7 · 10 · 14 · 17
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Dominant 11
- Symbol
- G♯11
G♯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 G♯11 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♯, index finger on C♯, 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 every note of G♯11 is a black key. 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.
- G♯1
- C♯11
- D♯5
- F♯♭7
- A♯9
G♯11 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯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.
G♯ · D♯ · F♯ · A♯ · C♯
Try G♯11 on the virtual piano
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G♯11 chord notes
Also known as A♭11
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♯(D#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | F♯(F#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | A♯(A#) | |
| 11 | Perfect eleventh | 17 | C♯(C#) |
How to use the G♯11 chord
The G♯11 chord is built from a root, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a perfect eleventh. Start at the root G♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♯, D♯, F♯, A♯ and C♯. 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 G♯11 differs from similar chords
G♯11 stacks a ninth and an eleventh on G♯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 G♯7sus4 with a ninth. It differs from G♯13, which keeps the third and adds the sixth an octave up.
Where G♯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 G♯11 chord?
- The G♯11 chord contains G♯, D♯, F♯, A♯ and C♯ (G#, D#, F#, A# and C# in plain text).
- Is the G♯11 chord major or minor?
- G♯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 G♯11 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♯, D♯, F♯, A♯ and C♯ 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 G♯11 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯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.
- What is another name for the G♯11 chord?
- G♯11 is enharmonically equivalent to A♭11. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.