E major seventh, sharp eleventh
How to play Emaj7♯11 — Major seventh, sharp eleventh
Emaj7♯11 (Major seventh, sharp eleventh)E · G♯ · B · D♯ · A♯
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
E major seventh, sharp eleventh — notes and structure
The Emaj7♯11 chord is a major seventh with a raised eleventh — the bright, floating "Lydian" colour.
The Emaj7♯11 major 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.
Emaj7♯11 stacks a major third (G♯), a perfect fifth (B), a major seventh (D♯) and a raised eleventh (A♯) above the root E.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Emaj7♯11 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 9th fret. They use a barre.
What key is Emaj7♯11 in?
Every note of Emaj7♯11 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- B major — the IV chord
- G♯ minor — the VI chord
Chords that go with Emaj7♯11
In B major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Emaj7♯11 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E major seventh, sharp eleventh chord?
- The Emaj7♯11 chord contains the notes E, G♯, B, D♯, A♯. It is a major seventh with a raised eleventh — the bright, floating "Lydian" colour.
- How many ways can you play Emaj7♯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 Emaj7♯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.
- What key does Emaj7♯11 belong to?
- Emaj7♯11 fits B major (where it is the IV chord), G♯ minor (where it is the VI chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.