E eleventh (E11) chord on piano

Looking for the E11 chord on piano? It is an eleventh chord (a dominant ninth plus a perfect eleventh), made of six notes: E – G♯ – B – D – F♯ – A.

Full chord: E4 – G♯4 – B4 – D5 – F♯5 – A5

Chord finder Transposer

What the E11 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 E11 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	E	root
3	G♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	B	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	D	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	F♯	major second (2 semitones)
11	A	perfect fourth (5 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

E4 – G♯4 – B4 – D5 – F♯5 – A5

Two-hand voicing

E3 – D5 – F♯5 – A5 – B5

Which keys is it in?

The E11 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A major: V11 (dominant)
F♯ minor: VII11

Similar chords and substitutes

If E11 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

B♭7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
A♭dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
E7 – a simpler dominant
E7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
A – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

E9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
E7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
E7sus4 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Eadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E11 chord?

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

How do I play the E11 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 6 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

How is the E11 chord written?

The chord symbol is E11, and its full name is E eleventh.