A seventh, sharp eleventh
How to play A7♯11 — Seventh, sharp eleventh
A7♯11 (Seventh, sharp eleventh)A · C♯ · E · G · D♯
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
A seventh, sharp eleventh — notes and structure
The A7♯11 chord is a dominant seventh with a raised eleventh — the bright, edgy "Lydian dominant" colour.
The A7♯11 seventh, sharp eleventh consists of the notes A, C♯, E, G, D♯. Its interval structure is R–3–5–7–11 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
A7♯11 stacks a major third (C♯), a perfect fifth (E), a minor seventh (G) and a raised eleventh (D♯) above the root A.
The finder shows 2 ways to play A7♯11 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 6th fret. None of them need a barre.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the A seventh, sharp eleventh chord?
- The A7♯11 chord contains the notes A, C♯, E, G, D♯. It is a dominant seventh with a raised eleventh — the bright, edgy "Lydian dominant" colour.
- How many ways can you play A7♯11 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is A7♯11 a hard chord to play?
- It is fairly beginner-friendly — there is an open-position shape and none of the voicings need a barre.