Explore chords · Guitar
F 11th chord on guitar (F11)
Also called or written F11 or F
F 11th is built from F, A, C, E♭, G, and B♭. This advanced barre chord requires a 1st-fret barre with the pinky stretching to the 3rd fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionF–A–C–E♭–G–B♭F111-1-1-2-1-3
- First inversionA–C–E♭–G–B♭–FF11/A5-3-3-3-4-3
- Second inversionC–E♭–G–B♭–F–AF11/Cno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionE♭–G–B♭–F–A–CF11/E♭no shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionG–B♭–F–A–C–E♭F11/G3-1-1-2-1-1
- Fifth inversionB♭–F–A–C–E♭–GF11/B♭6-6-5-5-6-5
How do you play an F 11th chord on guitar?
F 11th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 2 1 3: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the G 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 (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret five strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 3rd fret on the high e string.
13th fret
F 11th is played at the 13th fret as 13 13 13 14 13 15: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the G string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 15.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 14 | 3 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (2) |
F11/A inversion · fret 3
F 11th is played at the 3rd fret as 5 3 3 3 4 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 5 and ring finger on the B string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 4 | A (3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (2) |
F11/A inversion · fret 5
F 11th is played at the 5th fret as 5 6 5 5 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 5, middle finger on the A string at fret 6, ring finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (3) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (2) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 3 | F (1) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (4) |
F11/G inversion
F 11th is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 2 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3 and ring finger on the G string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (2) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F 11th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, and perfect 4th above F. The minor 7th gives it dominant pull, and the added 11th softens the F 9th sound.
What goes wrong with F 11th?
- The 2nd string buzzes because the index barre lifts slightly at the 1st fret.
- The pinky mutes the 1st string by flattening onto it instead of fretting it cleanly.
When to use it
F 11th works as a dominant in B♭ major progressions like B♭–E♭–F–B♭, the I–IV–V–I. It suits blues, funk, and jazz-rock where the 11th adds grit over F major.
Changing to and from F 11th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ 11th.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives G 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret position keeps F in the bass for a root-position sound. The F11/A inversion at the 3rd fret puts the third in the bass, making the chord brighter and less stable.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F 11th written?
F 11th is written as F11 or simply F. The root is F.
What is the difference between F 11th and F 9th?
F 11th adds the 11th note B♭ to the F 9th chord. The 11th creates a softer, more suspended sound than the sharper dominant quality of F 9th.
Why does F 11th contain a tritone?
F 11th contains a tritone between the major 3rd A and the minor 7th E♭. This interval creates tension that resolves to the tonic chord in B♭ major.