Play and Master the C11 Guitar Chord
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The C11 chord, or C dominant eleventh, is spelled C, E, G, Bb, D and F. It is C9 with the F added, a perfect fourth above the root but placed an octave higher.
That F sits a half step above the major third (E), so the two notes rub against each other. Three barre voicings are listed, the lowest at the 3rd fret, and none has an open string. The C Mixolydian scale contains every note of the chord.
Press play above to hear C11 strummed, then as an arpeggio.
C dominant 11th guitar chord is also written as C11, Cdom11 or C7(11).
C 11 chord Notes:
Chord Formula:
Formula: 1 3 5 b7 9 11
C 11 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the A, D, G, B and high E strings at the same time
Position 2 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the B and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the low E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the D string
Position 3 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the D, G and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the B string
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes are in C11?
C11 is C, E, G, Bb, D and F. It is C9 with the F, the eleventh, added.
How does the F in C11 relate to the E?
F is the eleventh, a perfect fourth over C. It sits a semitone over the major third E, so the pair rubs and adds tension.
Which scale fits C11?
C Mixolydian is C, D, E, F, G, A and Bb. All six chord notes are in it, with F as the eleventh and Bb as the flat seventh.
How many C11 voicings are there?
There are 3 voicings, from fret 3 to fret 11. All 3 are barre voicings and none uses an open string.
What is the difference between C9 and C dominant eleventh?
C9 has C, E, G, Bb and D. C11 adds F, so it holds six different notes instead of five.
