How to play A7#11: a dominant 7th 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: 5 4 5 x 4 x (x = not played).
| Note | A | C# | G | D# |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b7 | #11 |
A7#11 is a dominant 7th sharp 11 with A as its root. The full theoretical spelling is A, C#, E, G, D#. This voicing omits the 5th, the tone guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings.
A7#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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A7#11 is spelled A, C#, E, G, D#: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, sharp 11th. The common guitar voicing sounds A, C#, G, D#, leaving out the 5th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: 5 4 5 x 4 x (x means the string is not played). Fret the A and B strings at the 4th fret. Add the low E and D strings at the 5th fret. Strum from the low E string down, skipping the G and high E strings.
A7#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.