C eleventh (C11) chord on banjo

The C eleventh chord (C11) is an eleventh chord (a dominant ninth plus a perfect eleventh), made of six notes: C – E – G – B♭ – D – F.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 5medium

Position 8easy

Position 10medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the C11 chord sounds like

An eleventh chord has six notes in theory. In practice the third is left out (it clashes with the eleventh), so it sounds like a 9sus4 – a modern, open dominant.

Notes of the C11 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C	root
3	E	major third (4 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
5	G	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	B♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	D	major second (2 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
11	F	perfect fourth (5 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 3, little finger (F4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 3, ring finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)

Position 5, barre at fret 5

String 1 (D): fret 8, little finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, middle finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 5, index finger (G3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 5; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 8, barre at fret 8

String 1 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 8, index finger (G4)
String 3 (G): fret 10, little finger (F4)
String 4 (D): fret 10, ring finger (C4)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 8; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The C11 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F major: V11 (dominant)
D minor: VII11

Similar chords and substitutes

If C11 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F♯7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Edim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
C7 – a simpler dominant
C7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
F – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

C9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
C7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
C7sus4 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Cadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C11 chord?

C, E, G, B♭, D, F. The root is C; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major second, perfect fourth.

What is the easiest way to play C11 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some C11 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 6-note chord. In an eleventh chord the third (E) is normally left out because it clashes with the eleventh. The fifth (G) and ninth (D) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without them.

How is the C11 chord written?

The chord symbol is C11, and its full name is C eleventh.