B ELEVENTH - GUITAR
Bass position 2
Bass position 7
Bass position 9
Chord composition
| I | V | ♭VII | IX | XI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root | Perfect fifth | Minor seventh | Major ninth | Perfect eleventh |
| B | F# | A | C# | E |
ALL ABOUT THE B ELEVENTH CHORD
Chord Composition
The B Eleventh chord is composed of 5 notes :
- B (Root)
- F# (Perfect fifth)
- A (Minor seventh)
- C# (Major ninth)
- E (Perfect eleventh)
These notes form a dominant eleventh chord, creating rich and modal tension.
How to play B Eleventh on guitar
The 11 chord B Eleventh is a 9 chord (1-3-5-7b-9) with an added perfect eleventh.
- Dense structure: root, third, fifth, 7b, 9, 11 (6 notes - difficult on guitar)
- Essential partial voicings: often omit fifth and/or third
- Strong modal color: evokes mixolydian mode
- Jazz and fusion: very colorful dominant chord
On guitar, impossible to play all notes. Common voicings are: 1-7-9-11 or 7-9-11-13.
Common uses of B Eleventh
The 11 chord has specialized uses:
- Modal jazz: enriched modal dominant
- Funk and fusion: grooves with complex extensions
- V7 substitution: for richer color
Styles
Modal jazz: exploits mixolydian colors.
Jazz fusion: dense and complex harmonies.