E seventh, sharp eleventh
How to play E7♯11 — Seventh, sharp eleventh
E7♯11 (Seventh, sharp eleventh)E · G♯ · B · D · A♯
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
E seventh, sharp eleventh — notes and structure
The E7♯11 chord is a dominant seventh with a raised eleventh — the bright, edgy "Lydian dominant" colour.
The E7♯11 seventh, sharp eleventh consists of the notes E, G♯, B, D, A♯. 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.
E7♯11 stacks a major third (G♯), a perfect fifth (B), a minor seventh (D) and a raised eleventh (A♯) above the root E.
The finder shows 1 way to play E7♯11 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 4th fret. They use a barre.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E seventh, sharp eleventh chord?
- The E7♯11 chord contains the notes E, G♯, B, D, A♯. It is a dominant seventh with a raised eleventh — the bright, edgy "Lydian dominant" colour.
- How many ways can you play E7♯11 on guitar?
- 1 voicing is shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is E7♯11 a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.