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E♭ 11th chord on guitar (E♭11)
Also called or written E♭11 or E♭
E♭ 11th is built from E♭, G, B♭, D♭, F, A♭. This advanced barre chord requires a full index barre and a pinky stretch to the high e string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭–D♭–F–A♭E♭1111-11-11-12-11-13
- First inversionG–B♭–D♭–F–A♭–E♭E♭11/G3-1-1-1-2-1
- Second inversionB♭–D♭–F–A♭–E♭–GE♭11/B♭no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionD♭–F–A♭–E♭–G–B♭E♭11/D♭no shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionF–A♭–E♭–G–B♭–D♭E♭11/F1-1-1-1-2-3
- Fifth inversionA♭–E♭–G–B♭–D♭–FE♭11/A♭4-4-3-3-4-3
How do you play an E♭ 11th chord on guitar?
E♭ 11th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 11 12 11 13: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the G string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 3 | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | F (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold down five strings at fret 11 while the pinky reaches fret 13 on the high e, stretching the hand.
E♭11/G inversion · fret 1
E♭ 11th is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 1 2 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭11/G inversion · fret 3
E♭ 11th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 3 3 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, middle finger on the A string at fret 4, ring finger on the B string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (4) |
E♭11/G inversion · fret 13
E♭ 11th is played at the 13th fret as 15 13 13 13 14 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 15 and ring finger on the B string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 15 | 4 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭11/F inversion
E♭ 11th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 1 2 3: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ 11th stacks a major triad with a ♭7, 9, and 11: 1–3–5–♭7–9–11. The 11th (A♭) adds a suspended colour over the dominant seventh. Compare E♭ 9th, which lacks the 11th.
What goes wrong with E♭ 11th?
- The B string is muted because the index barre is not pressing hard enough at the 2nd string.
- The high e string is deadened by the pinky accidentally touching it before fret 13.
- The ring finger leans on the B string, preventing it from ringing.
When to use it
E♭ 11th is the V chord in A♭ major, resolving to A♭ major in progressions like A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭ (I–IV–V–I). Its dominant tension suits rock, blues, and funk, especially when you want a fuller sound than E♭ 9th.
Changing to and from E♭ 11th
- Move to A♭ major by lifting the ring and pinky fingers, then barre the 11th fret and place your middle finger on the 5th string at fret 13.
- Slide the shape down two frets to the 9th fret for C♯ 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 11th fret root-position voicing keeps E♭ in the bass for a grounded sound. The G inversions put the third in the bass, making the chord brighter and less stable, useful when a bass player covers the root.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ 11th written?
E♭ 11th is written as E♭11 or Eb11. The root is E♭, also written Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why does E♭ 11th sound so dense?
E♭ 11th contains six different notes, including the 9th and 11th. That density creates a rich, cluster-like quality that works best in a band mix where other instruments fill the lower register.
What is the difference between E♭ 11th and E♭ 9th?
E♭ 9th contains E♭, G, B♭, D♭, and F. E♭ 11th adds the A♭, the 11th, which creates a suspended feel against the third G. The added note makes E♭ 11th more colourful but less direct.
Can I omit the 5th in E♭ 11th?
Yes, omitting the B♭ reduces clutter without changing the chord's function. The essential notes are the root, third, ♭7, and 11th. The 9th can also be dropped if needed.