C6(#11) Guitar Chord - Guitar Chords Chart

The C sixth sharp eleventh chord, written C6(#11), stacks root C, major third E, fifth G, major sixth A and sharp eleventh F#. Placed an octave up, the F# sits a half step below the fifth, G.

Use the C Lydian scale for melody: its raised fourth is the sharp eleventh of the chord. A natural eleventh would lie a half step above the major third and grind against it, so the raised version is used instead. For a visual route to the same notes, see how intervals sit on the neck.

C 6th with sharp 11th guitar chord is also written as C6(#11), C6#11, Cmaj6(#11) or C6(+11).

C6(#11) Chord Notes and Formula

Notes in the C 6(#11) chord:

C E G A F#

Chord Structure:

Formula: 1 3 5 6 #11

C6(#11) Chord Interactive Fretboard

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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

C6(#11) Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

C Sixth Sharp Eleventh Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the high E string

Position 2 Barre Movable

C Sixth Sharp Eleventh Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the B string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D and G strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the high E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the A string

Position 3 Movable

C Sixth Sharp Eleventh Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the G string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the B string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the high E string

Position 4 Barre Movable

C Sixth Sharp Eleventh Finger Positions

Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the D, G and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the B string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the low E string

Position 5 Barre Movable Slash Chord

C6(#11) position 5 guitar chord diagram (C6(#11)/A slash chord)

C/A Sixth Sharp Eleventh Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the high E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the G string

The lowest note is A, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord C6(#11)/A.

Position 6 Movable

C Sixth Sharp Eleventh Finger Positions

Mute the D string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the low E string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the B string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Chords That Go With C6(#11)

One key where C6(#11) fits is G major, where it works as the IV chord. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:

I · G ii · Am iii · Bm IV · C V · D vi · Em

See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.

More C Chords

C Cm C7 Cm7 Cmaj7 Csus4 Csus2 Cadd9 Cdim C9 C7(b13) C7(b9) C7(#11) C7#5

Want to know how this chord is built? Read sixth chords explained, or browse all C guitar chords.

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 6(#11) | D 6(#11) | E 6(#11) | F 6(#11) | G 6(#11) | A 6(#11) | B 6(#11) | C#6(#11) | D#6(#11) | F#6(#11) | G#6(#11) | A#6(#11) | Ab6(#11) | Bb6(#11) | Db6(#11) | Eb6(#11) | Gb6(#11)

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What notes are in C6(#11)?

C6(#11) contains C, E, G, A and F#: root, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth and sharp eleventh.

Which scale fits C sixth sharp eleventh?

The C Lydian scale: C, D, E, F#, G, A, B. It contains every chord tone, and its raised fourth, F#, is the sharp eleventh.

Why does C6(#11) use F# rather than F?

F natural would sit a half step higher than the major third, E, and grind against it. F# sits a half step under the fifth, G, so it blends in more cleanly.

What do the 6 and the #11 mean in C sixth sharp eleventh?

The 6 is the major sixth, A, and the #11 is the raised eleventh, F#. Both are added to the C major triad C, E, G.