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Piano chords

F♯ eleventh (F♯11) chord on piano

Eleventh chord (a dominant ninth plus a perfect eleventh) on F♯: the notes of the F♯11 chord are F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯ – B. The same chord with a different spelling: G♭ eleventh (G♭11).

EBF♯A♯C♯G♯

Full chord: F♯4 – A♯4 – C♯5 – E5 – G♯5 – B5

What the F♯11 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 F♯11 chord

DegreeNoteInterval from the root
1F♯root
3A♯major third (4 semitones)
5C♯perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7Eminor seventh (10 semitones)
9G♯major second (2 semitones)
11Bperfect 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

F♯4 – A♯4 – C♯5 – E5 – G♯5 – B5

Two-hand voicing

F♯3 – E5 – G♯5 – B5 – C♯6

Which keys is it in?

The F♯11 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

  • B major: V11 (dominant)
  • G♯ minor: VII11

Similar chords and substitutes

If F♯11 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

  • C7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
  • B♭dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
  • F♯7 – a simpler dominant
  • F♯7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
  • B – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

  • F♯9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
  • F♯7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
  • F♯7sus4 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
  • F♯add9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯11 chord?

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

How do I play the F♯11 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 F♯11 chord written?

The chord symbol is F♯11 (also written F#11), and its full name is F♯ eleventh.

Related chords

The same chord on another instrument:

F♯11 on guitarF♯11 on ukuleleF♯11 on mandolinF♯11 on banjo

Other F♯ chords on piano:

F♯F♯mF♯7F♯maj7F♯m7F♯sus2F♯sus4F♯7sus4F♯6F♯m6F♯add9F♯dimF♯augF♯dim7F♯m7b5F♯9F♯m9F♯maj9F♯13

All piano chords in a table →

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Photos: Isak Photography, 42 North, Rachel Loughman, Vitaly Gariev, Vitaly Gariev, Isaac Martin / Unsplash