Chords
D# 11b9
D# · A# · C# · E · G#
D# 11b9 (D#11b9) is a other chord of 5 notes: D# · A# · C# · E · G#.
D# 11b9
D# · A# · C# · E · G#
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | D#3 · A#3 · C#4 · E4 · G#4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | D#3 · E3 · A#3 · C#4 · G#4 | |
| Rootless | C#3 · E3 · G#3 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
D# 11b9 (D#11b9) contains the notes D# · A# · C# · E · G#, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of D# 11b9 puts a chord tone other than D# in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales D# 11b9 belongs to.
In which keys
D# 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
D# 11b9 fits inside these scales, each built on D#.
- D# PhrygianD# · E · F# · G# · A# · B · C#
- D# Dorian b2D# · E · F# · G# · A# · B# · C#
- D# Bebop LocrianD# · E · F# · G# · A · A# · B · C#
Understanding the D# 11b9 chord
Names and symbols
D#11b9 is the chord symbol for D# 11b9.
D# 11b9 and Eb 11b9 are the same sound spelled two ways; both have a page here, and each links to the other. Eb 11b9
Common questions
- What notes are in the D# 11b9 chord?
- The D# 11b9 chord contains the notes D# · A# · C# · E · G#: the root D# 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 D#, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the D# 11b9 chord?
- Measured from D#, the D# 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 D# 11b9 chord?
- On guitar the most common D# 11b9 shape is x11120, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play D#3 · A#3 · C#4 · E4 · G#4 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.