Explore chords · Guitar
B 11th chord on guitar (B11)
Also called or written B11 or B
B 11th is built from B, D♯, F♯, A, C♯, and E. This advanced barre chord requires a 7th-fret barre with the pinky stretching to the 9th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionB–D♯–F♯–A–C♯–EB117-7-7-8-7-9
- First inversionD♯–F♯–A–C♯–E–BB11/D♯11-9-9-9-10-9
- Second inversionF♯–A–C♯–E–B–D♯B11/F♯no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionA–C♯–E–B–D♯–F♯B11/Ano shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionC♯–E–B–D♯–F♯–AB11/C♯9-7-7-8-7-7
- Fifth inversionE–B–D♯–F♯–A–C♯B11/E12-12-11-11-12-11
How do you play a B 11th chord on guitar?
B 11th is played at the 7th fret as 7 7 7 8 7 9: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the G string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | D♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret five strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 9th fret on the high e string.
B11/D♯ inversion · fret 9
B 11th is played at the 9th fret as 11 9 9 9 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 11 and ring finger on the B string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 4 | D♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (2) |
B11/D♯ inversion · fret 11
B 11th is played at the 11th fret as 11 12 11 11 12 12: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 12, ring finger on the B string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (2) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 3 | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 4 | E (4) |
B11/C♯ inversion · fret 7
B 11th is played at the 7th fret as 9 7 7 8 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 9 and ring finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | D♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
B11/C♯ inversion · fret 9
B 11th is played at the 9th fret as 9 9 9 9 10 11: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the B string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | D♯ (3) |
Why it sounds like that
B 11th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, and perfect 4th above B. The minor 7th gives it dominant pull, and the added 11th softens the B 9th sound.
What goes wrong with B 11th?
- The 2nd string buzzes because the index barre lifts slightly at the 7th fret.
- The pinky mutes the 1st string by flattening onto it instead of fretting it cleanly.
When to use it
B 11th works as a dominant in E major progressions like E–A–B–E, the I–IV–V–I. It suits blues, funk, and jazz-rock where the 11th adds grit over B major.
Changing to and from B 11th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 5th fret gives A 11th.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 9th fret gives C♯ 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 7th fret position keeps B in the bass for a root-position sound. The B11/D♯ inversion at the 9th fret puts the third in the bass, making the chord brighter and less stable.
Other B chords
Common questions
How is B 11th written?
B 11th is written as B11 or simply B. The root is B.
What is the difference between B 11th and B 9th?
B 11th adds the 11th note E to the B 9th chord. The 11th creates a softer, more suspended sound than the sharper dominant quality of B 9th.
Why does B 11th contain a tritone?
B 11th contains a tritone between the major 3rd D♯ and the minor 7th A. This interval creates tension that resolves to the tonic chord in E major.