E11

E11 is E, B, D, F# and A, a dominant eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written 000100, lowest string first.

Also written E9sus4 or E dominant 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for E11 on the guitar, and 63 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of E11 belongs to D major (the ii), E minor (the i), F# minor (the ♭VII), G major (the vi), A major (the V) and B minor (the iv).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 000100, 004434, 222234, x76755, x77797, x-11-9-9-10-10, 12-12-12-13-12-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. E11 has xx2232, x2223x, 0202xx, xx0200, xx7757, x7777x, 7777xx, x-x-9-9-10-10.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. E11 has 2x223x, x5x252, 5x243x, 0x020x, x2x230, 5x475x, x5x455, x7x775.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. E11 has x2423x, xx0202, xx4435, xx7777, x-x-9-11-10-10, x-12-12-11-12-x, x-x-12-14-12-14, x2x232.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. E11 has 007777, 02423x, 0x4435, x24230, 25220x, 57470x.

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