Bb11

Bb11 is Bb, F, Ab, C and Eb, a dominant eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written x11131, lowest string first.

Also written Bb9sus4 or Bb dominant 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Bb11 on the guitar, and 54 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Bb11 belongs to C minor (the ♭VII), C# major (the vi), Eb major (the V), F minor (the iv), Ab major (the ii) and Bb minor (the i).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x11131, x53344, 650544, 666766, 8-8-8-8-9-10, x-13-12-13-11-11, x-13-13-13-15-13.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bb11 has x1111x, 1111xx, xx3344, xx6546, 6665xx, 6868xx, xx6866, xx8898.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bb11 has 4x131x, x1x141, x3x344, x6x364, 4x334x, 6x654x, x6x596, 6x686x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Bb11 has xx1111, xx3544, x6656x, xx6868, x-8-10-8-9-x, x-x-10-10-9-11, x-x-13-13-13-13, x3314x.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.