G Dominant 11th (G11)

1+3+5+b7+9+11
GBDFAC
4 4
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Notes in G Dominant 11th

G (root)BDFAC

Inversions

Same notes as G Dominant 11th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

G in the bass

GBDFAC

1st inversion

B in the bass

BDFACG

2nd inversion

D in the bass

DFACGB

3rd inversion

F in the bass

FACGBD

4th inversion

A in the bass

ACGBDF

5th inversion

C in the bass

CGBDFA

Open voicings

A close-position chord like G Dominant 11th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

G on the bottom

GABDFC

Drop 3

F on the bottom

FGBDAC

G Dominant 11th consists of G, B, D, F, A and C, played at the same time.

A dominant ninth chord extended with an eleventh, though in practice pianists often leave the third out since it sits a half step below the eleventh and the two can clash. What's left has a fuller, more suspended color than a plain dominant chord, and it turns up constantly in funk and modal jazz.

Difficulty: Advanced. Category: Extended chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.