Piano chord
F♯11F sharp eleventh
- F♯1
- A♯3
- C♯5
- E♭7
- G♯9
- B11
- Notes
- 6
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 17semitones
- Fingers
- 5 + 1-3-5
How to play F♯11 on piano
- Find F♯: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Left hand: play F♯ with the little finger (5), an octave below the right hand.
- Right hand: 1 on E, 3 on G♯, 5 on B.
- Leave out C♯, A♯: 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 · F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯ – B
1st inversion · A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯ – B – F♯
2nd inversion · C♯ – E – G♯ – B – F♯ – A♯
3rd inversion · E – G♯ – B – F♯ – A♯ – C♯
This chord has more notes than one hand holds comfortably; see the two-hand voicing below.
F♯11 inversions
Use these 4 positions to move between chords with as little hand movement as possible. Root position starts on F♯; the inversions start on the other notes of the chord.
- Root positionbass: F♯F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯ – B
- 1st inversionbass: A♯A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯ – B – F♯
- 2nd inversionbass: C♯C♯ – E – G♯ – B – F♯ – A♯
- 3rd inversionbass: EE – G♯ – B – F♯ – A♯ – C♯
F♯11 with two hands
A practical voicing: the left hand plays F♯, the right hand plays the colour notes E–G♯–B. Notes that can be left out are left out.
F♯11 on other instruments
On guitar and ukulele F♯11 is usually simplified; you will find it on the root pages.
About the F♯11 chord
To build F sharp eleventh, take these 6 notes from the root up: F♯ (1), A♯ (3), C♯ (5), E (♭7), G♯ (9), B (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.
The keys are F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯ – B, counted up from F♯; the distance from the lowest to the highest key is 17 semitones. Few hands reach that far, so share F♯11 between both hands, with F♯ in the left.
In the inversions of F♯11 the root moves up and another note takes the bass. In the 1st inversion the bass is A♯ (A♯–C♯–E–G♯–B–F♯). In the 2nd inversion the bass is C♯ (C♯–E–G♯–B–F♯–A♯). In the 3rd inversion the bass is E (E–G♯–B–F♯–A♯–C♯).
Compared with F♯9, F♯11 has one more note, B.
Questions
What notes are in the F♯11 chord?
F♯11 (F sharp eleventh) has 6 notes: F♯ (1), A♯ (3), C♯ (5), E (♭7), G♯ (9), B (11).
How many inversions does F♯11 have?
F♯11 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (F♯–A♯–C♯–E–G♯–B); 1st inversion (A♯–C♯–E–G♯–B–F♯); 2nd inversion (C♯–E–G♯–B–F♯–A♯); 3rd inversion (E–G♯–B–F♯–A♯–C♯).
What is the difference between F♯11 and F♯9?
Compared with F♯9, F♯11 has one more note, B.
Can I play F♯11 with one hand?
In root position F♯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.