Chord · A Dominant 11th
A11 Chord
A11 is A, C#, E, G, B and D — dense; usually voiced rootless.
A11 on every instrument
The same 6 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What A11 is made of
A11 (A eleventh) is built from the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11.
Stack 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 11 on a root of A and you get A, C#, E, G, B and D. That interval recipe is what makes the chord an eleventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C11 sounds like a transposed A11.
Dominant 11th: Dense; usually voiced rootless.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with C♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain A11
All 6 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Minor keys
Other chords on A
Same root, different colour.
The same eleventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about A11
- What notes are in the A11 chord?
- A11 is made of A, C#, E, G, B and D — the 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 11 degrees of an eleventh chord built on A.
- What keys use the A11 chord?
- Every note of A11 belongs to 2 keys: D Major (V), B Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play A11 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows A11 on guitar and piano — 4 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why A11 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.