Piano chord
E♭11E flat eleventh
- E♭1
- G3
- B♭5
- D♭♭7
- F9
- A♭11
- Notes
- 6
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 17semitones
- Fingers
- 5 + 1-3-5
How to play E♭11 on piano
- Find E♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Left hand: play E♭ with the little finger (5), an octave below the right hand.
- Right hand: 1 on D♭, 3 on F, 5 on A♭.
- Leave out B♭, G: 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 · E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭
1st inversion · G – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – E♭
2nd inversion · B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – E♭ – G
3rd inversion · D♭ – F – A♭ – E♭ – G – B♭
This chord has more notes than one hand holds comfortably; see the two-hand voicing below.
E♭11 inversions
Here are all 4 positions of E♭11. The notes stay the same, only their order changes: root position has E♭ at the bottom, and every inversion starts on the next chord tone.
- Root positionbass: E♭E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭
- 1st inversionbass: GG – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – E♭
- 2nd inversionbass: B♭B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – E♭ – G
- 3rd inversionbass: D♭D♭ – F – A♭ – E♭ – G – B♭
E♭11 with two hands
A practical voicing: the left hand plays E♭, the right hand plays the colour notes D♭–F–A♭. Notes that can be left out are left out.
E♭11 on other instruments
On guitar and ukulele E♭11 is usually simplified; you will find it on the root pages.
About the E♭11 chord
The 6 notes of E flat eleventh are E♭ (1), G (3), B♭ (5), D♭ (♭7), F (9), A♭ (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 E♭ and count up: E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭. The whole chord spans 17 semitones from bottom to top. That is wider than an octave, so most pianists split E♭11: E♭ in the left hand, the upper notes in the right.
The inversions of E♭11 keep the same notes in a new order. In the 1st inversion the bass is G (G–B♭–D♭–F–A♭–E♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is B♭ (B♭–D♭–F–A♭–E♭–G). In the 3rd inversion the bass is D♭ (D♭–F–A♭–E♭–G–B♭).
Add A♭ to E♭9 and you have E♭11.
Questions
What notes are in the E♭11 chord?
E♭11 (E flat eleventh) has 6 notes: E♭ (1), G (3), B♭ (5), D♭ (♭7), F (9), A♭ (11).
How many inversions does E♭11 have?
E♭11 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (E♭–G–B♭–D♭–F–A♭); 1st inversion (G–B♭–D♭–F–A♭–E♭); 2nd inversion (B♭–D♭–F–A♭–E♭–G); 3rd inversion (D♭–F–A♭–E♭–G–B♭).
What is the difference between E♭11 and E♭9?
Add A♭ to E♭9 and you have E♭11.
Can I play E♭11 with one hand?
In root position E♭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.