Chord · B Dominant 11th
B11 Chord
B11 is B, D#, F#, A, C# and E — dense; usually voiced rootless.
B11 on every instrument
The same 6 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What B11 is made of
B11 (B eleventh) is built from the notes B, D#, F#, A, C#, E, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11.
Stack 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 11 on a root of B and you get B, D#, F#, A, C# and E. 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 B11.
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 D♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain B11
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 B
Same root, different colour.
The same eleventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about B11
- What notes are in the B11 chord?
- B11 is made of B, D#, F#, A, C# and E — the 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 11 degrees of an eleventh chord built on B.
- What keys use the B11 chord?
- Every note of B11 belongs to 2 keys: E Major (V), C# Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play B11 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows B11 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 B11 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.