Also written A11 or A
A 11th is built from A, C♯, E, G, B, and D. This advanced barre chord stretches the pinky to the 7th fret while the index holds a 5th-fret barre.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
A 11th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, and perfect 4th above A. The minor 7th gives it dominant pull, and the added 11th softens the A 9th sound.
A 11th works as a dominant in D major progressions like D–G–A–D, the I–IV–V–I. It suits blues, funk, and jazz-rock where the 11th adds grit over A major.
The 5th fret position keeps A in the bass for a root-position sound. The A11/C♯ inversion at the 7th fret puts the third in the bass, making the chord brighter and less stable.
A 11th is played at the 5th fret as 5 5 5 6 5 7: barre your index finger across fret 5, ring finger on the G string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 7.
Tip — The index barre must fret five strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 7th fret on the high e string.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (barre) | D (11) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 3 | C♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 4 | B (9) |
A 11th is played at the 7th fret as 9 7 7 7 8 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 9 and ring finger on the B string at fret 8.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 (barre) | D (11) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 3 | G (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (9) |
A 11th is played at the 9th fret as 9 10 9 9 10 10: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the A string at fret 10, ring finger on the B string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 2 | G (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (9) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (1) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (11) |
A 11th is played in open position as 0 2 0 2 2 3: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 2, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and D strings ring open.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (5) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (9) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (11) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭7) |
A 11th is played in open position as 3 2 0 2 2 0: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The D and high e strings ring open.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (♭7) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (9) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (11) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (5) |
A 11th is written as A11 or simply A. The root is A.
A 11th adds the 11th note D to the A 9th chord. The 11th creates a softer, more suspended sound than the sharper dominant quality of A 9th.
A 11th contains a tritone between the major 3rd C♯ and the minor 7th G. This interval creates tension that resolves to the tonic chord in D major.