Piano chord
B♭11B flat eleventh
- B♭1
- D3
- F5
- A♭♭7
- C9
- E♭11
- Notes
- 6
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 17semitones
- Fingers
- 5 + 1-3-5
How to play B♭11 on piano
- Find B♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Left hand: play B♭ with the little finger (5), an octave below the right hand.
- Right hand: 1 on A♭, 3 on C, 5 on E♭.
- Leave out F, D: the chord is still recognisable without it, and the hand stays relaxed.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · B♭ – D – F – A♭ – C – E♭
1st inversion · D – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭
2nd inversion · F – A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭ – D
3rd inversion · A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭ – D – F
This chord has more notes than one hand holds comfortably; see the two-hand voicing below.
B♭11 inversions
Here are all 4 positions of B♭11. The notes stay the same, only their order changes: root position has B♭ at the bottom, and every inversion starts on the next chord tone.
- Root positionbass: B♭B♭ – D – F – A♭ – C – E♭
- 1st inversionbass: DD – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭
- 2nd inversionbass: FF – A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭ – D
- 3rd inversionbass: A♭A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭ – D – F
B♭11 with two hands
A practical voicing: the left hand plays B♭, the right hand plays the colour notes A♭–C–E♭. Notes that can be left out are left out.
B♭11 on other instruments
On guitar and ukulele B♭11 is usually simplified; you will find it on the root pages.
About the B♭11 chord
The 6 notes of B flat eleventh are B♭ (1), D (3), F (5), A♭ (♭7), C (9), E♭ (11). A dominant eleventh: a seventh chord with the ninth and eleventh. On piano the third is usually left out, because it clashes with the eleventh.
Put your thumb on B♭ and count up: B♭ – D – F – A♭ – C – E♭. The whole chord spans 17 semitones from bottom to top. That is wider than an octave, so most pianists split B♭11: B♭ in the left hand, the upper notes in the right.
The inversions of B♭11 keep the same notes in a new order. In the 1st inversion the bass is D (D–F–A♭–C–E♭–B♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is F (F–A♭–C–E♭–B♭–D). In the 3rd inversion the bass is A♭ (A♭–C–E♭–B♭–D–F).
Add E♭ to B♭9 and you have B♭11.
Questions
What notes are in the B♭11 chord?
B♭11 (B flat eleventh) has 6 notes: B♭ (1), D (3), F (5), A♭ (♭7), C (9), E♭ (11).
How many inversions does B♭11 have?
B♭11 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (B♭–D–F–A♭–C–E♭); 1st inversion (D–F–A♭–C–E♭–B♭); 2nd inversion (F–A♭–C–E♭–B♭–D); 3rd inversion (A♭–C–E♭–B♭–D–F).
What is the difference between B♭11 and B♭9?
Add E♭ to B♭9 and you have B♭11.
Can I play B♭11 with one hand?
In root position B♭11 spans 17 semitones, more than an octave. Play the root with the left hand and the upper notes with the right, or leave out the fifth.