Chord Colors

C sharp eleven chord
PianoGuitar

About the C sharp eleven chord

C sharp eleven is used in B Major, where every note it holds is a scale tone. Think of it as a C♯ dominant eleventh chord.

Its notes are C♯, G♯, B, D♯, and F♯. The intervals are a perfect fifth, a minor seventh, a major ninth, and a perfect eleventh.

Also called D flat eleven, which spells the same notes enharmonically.

Learn more about the C♯11 chord

Inversions

Position 1 of 5

C sharp eleven (root position)

Notes and intervals

1C#C♯Root
2G#G♯Perfect 5th
3BBMinor 7th
4D#D♯Major 9th
5F#F♯Perfect 11th

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Other C sharp chords

Simpler triads

C sharp five chordC sharp major chordC sharp minor chordC sharp diminished chordC sharp augmented chord

Suspended

C sharp suspended two chordC sharp suspended four chordC sharp seven suspended four chordC sharp nine suspended four chordC sharp thirteen suspended four chord

Sixths and sevenths

C sharp six chordC sharp minor six chordC sharp minor flat six chordC sharp seven chordC sharp major seven chordC sharp minor seven chordC sharp minor seven flat five chordC sharp diminished seven chordC sharp minor major seven chordC sharp major seven flat five chordC sharp major seven sharp five chordC sharp minor major seven flat five chord

Extensions

C sharp nine chordC sharp add nine chordC sharp major nine chordC sharp minor nine chordC sharp thirteen chordC sharp six nine chordC sharp minor add nine chordC sharp major eleven chordC sharp major thirteen chordC sharp minor eleven chordC sharp minor thirteen chordC sharp minor six nine chordC sharp minor major nine chordC sharp minor major eleven chord

Altered

C sharp seven sharp five chordC sharp seven flat five chordC sharp seven flat nine chordC sharp seven sharp nine chordC sharp nine flat five chordC sharp nine sharp eleven chordC sharp nine sharp five chord

Functional relationships

These chords are where this one most naturally comes from and resolves to inside a key.

Relative minor

A sharp minor chord Learn more about Relative minor

The relative minor uses the same notes and key signature, so it works as a calmer, darker home base.

Parallel minor

C sharp minor chord Learn more about Parallel minor

The parallel minor keeps the same root note but lowers the third, giving the same key a darker, sadder sound.

Dominant

G sharp major chord Learn more about Dominant

The dominant is a fifth above the root, and it builds tension that pulls strongly back to this chord.

Subdominant

F sharp major chord Learn more about Subdominant

The subdominant is a fourth above the root (a fifth below), and it usually leads on to the dominant or back home.

Tritone substitution

D seven chord Learn more about Tritone substitution

The tritone substitution stands in for this chord's dominant with a dominant seventh a half step above the root, which slides down by a half step to resolve here.

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C♯11 chord on piano shown as colored note dots
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