C9(#11) Guitar Chord Chart and Fingering
Start with C9(#11) (C ninth sharp eleven) as a dominant ninth, C, E, G, Bb and D, then raise the eleventh to F#.
The F# sits a tritone above the root and gives the chord its lydian colour. Every tone of C9(#11) is inside the C Lydian Dominant scale, the fourth mode of the melodic minor scale, which adds only the sixth, A.
As a dominant chord it usually resolves a fourth up, to F. The ninth D and the sharp eleventh F# are the two extensions, and their distance is a major third.
C 9th with sharp 11th guitar chord is also written as C9(#11), C9#11 or C9+11.
Notes of the C 9(#11) chord:
Chord formula for the Dominant Ninth Sharp Eleventh Added chord:
Formula: 1 3 5 b7 9 #11
C 9(#11) Chord Interactive Fretboard
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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 C9(#11)?
C9(#11) contains C, E, G, Bb, D and F#. Those are the root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, ninth and sharp eleventh.
What scale can I play over C9(#11)?
The C Lydian Dominant scale spells C, D, E, F#, G, A and Bb. It covers all six chord tones and adds only A.
How is C9(#11) different from C9?
C9 has C, E, G, Bb and D. C9(#11) keeps all of them and adds F#, the sharp eleventh, a tritone from the root.
What are the intervals of C9(#11)?
They are 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and #11. In plain words: root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major ninth and augmented eleventh.
