Bb9#11

Bb9#11 is Bb, D, F, Ab, C and E, a nine sharp eleven. The shape this page opens on is written x10110, lowest string first.

Also written Bb9(#11), Bb9+11 or Bb9♯11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Bb9#11 on the guitar, and 27 derived voicings in 2 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x10110, x1213x, 656556, 6x675x, 676766, x-x-8-9-9-10, x-13-12-13-13-12, x-13-14-13-15-13.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Bb9#11 has x1011x, 6565xx, xx8798, x-13-12-13-13-x, x1x130, x1015x, 6x675x, 6569xx.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Bb9#11 has xx0110, x3213x, x5655x, x-x-10-9-9-10, x-x-12-13-13-12, x-15-14-13-15-x, x3x130, xx2534.

Tensions. A shell of Bb9#11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the b13 (Gb) and the 13 (G).

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