Chords
A# 11b9
A# · E# · G# · B · D#
A# 11b9 (A#11b9) is a other chord of 5 notes: A# · E# · G# · B · D#.
A# 11b9
A# · E# · G# · B · D#
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | A#3 · E#4 · G#4 · B4 · D#5 | |
| Open (drop 2) | A#3 · B3 · E#4 · G#4 · D#5 | |
| Rootless | G#3 · B3 · D#4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
A# 11b9 (A#11b9) contains the notes A# · E# · G# · B · D#, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of A# 11b9 puts a chord tone other than A# in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales A# 11b9 belongs to.
In which keys
A# 11b9 is diatonic to 2 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
A# 11b9 fits inside these scales, each built on A#.
- A# PhrygianA# · B · C# · D# · E# · F# · G#
- A# Bebop LocrianA# · B · C# · D# · E · E# · F# · G#
Understanding the A# 11b9 chord
Names and symbols
A#11b9 is the chord symbol for A# 11b9.
A# 11b9 and Bb 11b9 are the same sound spelled two ways; both have a page here, and each links to the other. Bb 11b9
Common questions
- What notes are in the A# 11b9 chord?
- The A# 11b9 chord contains the notes A# · E# · G# · B · D#: the root A# with the intervals 1P, 5P, 7m, 9m, 11P stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally A#, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the A# 11b9 chord?
- Measured from A#, the A# 11b9 chord stacks the intervals 1P, 5P, 7m, 9m, 11P. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the A# 11b9 chord?
- On guitar the most common A# 11b9 shape is x11101, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play A#3 · E#4 · G#4 · B4 · D#5 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.