Chords
F# 11b9
F# · C# · E · G · B
F# 11b9 (F#11b9) is a other chord of 5 notes: F# · C# · E · G · B.
F# 11b9
F# · C# · E · G · B
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Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | F#3 · C#4 · E4 · G4 · B4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | F#3 · G3 · C#4 · E4 · B4 | |
| Rootless | E3 · G3 · B3 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
F# 11b9 (F#11b9) contains the notes F# · C# · E · G · B, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of F# 11b9 puts a chord tone other than F# in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales F# 11b9 belongs to.
In which keys
F# 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
F# 11b9 fits inside these scales, each built on F#.
- F# PhrygianF# · G · A · B · C# · D · E
- F# Phrygian DominantF# · G · A# · B · C# · D · E
- F# Dorian b2F# · G · A · B · C# · D# · E
- F# Spanish HeptatonicF# · G · A · A# · B · C# · D · E
- F# Bebop LocrianF# · G · A · B · C · C# · D · E
Understanding the F# 11b9 chord
Names and symbols
F#11b9 is the chord symbol for F# 11b9.
Common questions
- What notes are in the F# 11b9 chord?
- The F# 11b9 chord contains the notes F# · C# · E · G · B: the root F# 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 F#, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the F# 11b9 chord?
- Measured from F#, the F# 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 F# 11b9 chord?
- On guitar the most common F# 11b9 shape is 222020, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play F#3 · C#4 · E4 · G4 · B4 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.