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D 11th chord on guitar (D11)
Also called or written D11 or D
D 11th is built from D, F♯, A, C, E, and G. This advanced barre chord requires a 10th-fret barre with the pinky stretching to the 12th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionD–F♯–A–C–E–GD1110-10-10-11-10-12
- First inversionF♯–A–C–E–G–DD11/F♯2-0-0-0-1-0
- Second inversionA–C–E–G–D–F♯D11/Ano shape on this instrument
- Third inversionC–E–G–D–F♯–AD11/Cno shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionE–G–D–F♯–A–CD11/E0-0-0-0-1-2
- Fifth inversionG–D–F♯–A–C–ED11/G3-3-2-2-3-2
How do you play a D 11th chord on guitar?
D 11th is played at the 10th fret as 10 10 10 11 10 12: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the G string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (4) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 3 | F♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 4 | E (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret five strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 12th fret on the high e string.
D11/F♯ inversion · open position — the easy shape, no barre
D 11th is played in open position as 2 0 0 0 1 0: middle finger on the low E string at fret 2 and index finger on the B string at fret 1. The A, D, G and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (4) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (2) |
D11/F♯ inversion · fret 2
D 11th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 3 2 2 3 3: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the A string at fret 3, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (4) |
D11/F♯ inversion · fret 12
D 11th is played at the 12th fret as 14 12 12 12 13 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 14 and ring finger on the B string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 1 (barre) | G (4) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
D11/F♯ inversion · fret 14
D 11th is played at the 14th fret as 14 15 14 14 15 15: barre your index finger across fret 14, middle finger on the A string at fret 15, ring finger on the B string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 15.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 15 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 14 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
| 3 (G) | 14 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 15 | 3 | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (4) |
Why it sounds like that
D 11th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, and perfect 4th above D. The minor 7th gives it dominant pull, and the added 11th softens the D 9th sound.
What goes wrong with D 11th?
- The 2nd string buzzes because the index barre lifts slightly at the 10th fret.
- The pinky mutes the 1st string by flattening onto it instead of fretting it cleanly.
When to use it
D 11th works as a dominant in G major progressions like G–C–D–G, the I–IV–V–I. It suits blues, funk, and jazz-rock where the 11th adds grit over D major.
Changing to and from D 11th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 8th fret gives C 11th.
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 9th fret gives C♯ 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 10th fret position keeps D in the bass for a root-position sound. The D11/F♯ inversion at the 2nd fret puts the third in the bass, making the chord brighter and less stable.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D 11th written?
D 11th is written as D11 or simply D. The root is D.
What is the difference between D 11th and D 9th?
D 11th adds the 11th note G to the D 9th chord. The 11th creates a softer, more suspended sound than the sharper dominant quality of D 9th.
Why does D 11th contain a tritone?
D 11th contains a tritone between the major 3rd F♯ and the minor 7th C. This interval creates tension that resolves to the tonic chord in G major.