How to play E7#11: a dominant 7th sharp 11 built on E, 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 x 2 3 3 4 (x = not played).
| Note | E | G# | D | A# |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b7 | #11 |
E7#11 is a dominant 7th sharp 11 with E as its root. The full theoretical spelling is E, G#, B, D, A#. This voicing omits the 5th, the tone guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings.
E7#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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E7#11 is spelled E, G#, B, D, A#: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, sharp 11th. The common guitar voicing sounds E, G#, D, A#, leaving out the 5th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x x 2 3 3 4 (x means the string is not played). Fret the D string at the 2nd fret. Add the G and B strings at the 3rd fret. Add the high E string at the 4th fret. Strum from the D string down; the low E and A strings stay silent.
E7#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.
