How to play A#9#11: a dominant 9th sharp 11 built on A#, with 1 voicing, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.
The first diagram is a common voicing: played at the first few frets. An X above a string means don't play it; an O means play it open.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 1 2 1 1 x (x = not played).
| Note | A# | G# | B# | Dx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | b7 | 9 | #11 |
A#9#11 is a dominant 9th sharp 11 with A# as its root. The full theoretical spelling is A#, Cx, E#, G#, B#, Dx. This voicing omits the 5th, the tone guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings. It also does without the 3rd, which changes the character more noticeably.
A#9#11 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.
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A#9#11 is spelled A#, Cx, E#, G#, B#, Dx: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, 9th, sharp 11th. The common guitar voicing sounds A#, G#, B#, Dx, leaving out the 3rd and 5th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 1 2 1 1 x (x means the string is not played). Lay your index finger across the 1st fret from the A string to the B string (a barre). Add the D string at the 2nd fret. Strum from the A string down, skipping the high E string; the low E string stays silent.
A#9#11 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.
