Chords
Bb maj7#9#11
Bb · D · F · A · C# · E
Bb maj7#9#11 (Bbmaj7#9#11) is a major chord of 6 notes: Bb · D · F · A · C# · E.
Bb maj7#9#11
Bb · D · F · A · C# · E
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Bb3 · D4 · F4 · A4 · C#5 · E5 | |
| Open (drop 2) | Bb3 · C#4 · D4 · F4 · A4 · E5 | |
| Shell | Bb3 · D4 · A4 | |
| Rootless | D3 · A3 · C#4 · E4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Bb maj7#9#11 (Bbmaj7#9#11) contains the notes Bb · D · F · A · C# · E, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of Bb maj7#9#11 puts a chord tone other than Bb in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales Bb maj7#9#11 belongs to.
In which keys
Bb maj7#9#11 is diatonic to 1 key; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
- D minorVImaj7#9#11Subdominant
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
Bb maj7#9#11 fits inside these scales, each built on Bb.
- Bb Lydian #9Bb · C# · D · E · F · G · A
- Bb Messiaen's Mode #3Bb · C · Db · D · E · F · Gb · Ab · A
Understanding the Bb maj7#9#11 chord
Names and symbols
Bbmaj7#9#11 is the chord symbol for Bb maj7#9#11.
maj7, M7, Δ7, ma7 and ^7 all mean the major seventh. A lowercase m7 is a different chord, the minor seventh, so the capital letter and the triangle are the only things keeping the two apart on a chart.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Bb maj7#9#11 chord?
- The Bb maj7#9#11 chord contains the notes Bb · D · F · A · C# · E: the root Bb with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9A, 11A stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally Bb, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the Bb maj7#9#11 chord?
- Measured from Bb, the Bb maj7#9#11 chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9A, 11A. 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 Bb maj7#9#11 chord?
- On guitar the most common Bb maj7#9#11 shape is x10220, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Bb3 · D4 · F4 · A4 · C#5 · E5 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.