A9#11

A9#11 is A, C#, E, G, B and D#, a nine sharp eleven. The shape this page opens on is written x01020, lowest string first.

Note by note. A is the root, C# is the major third, E is the fifth, G is the flat seventh, B is the ninth and D# is the sharp eleventh.

Also written A9(#11), A9+11 or A9♯11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for A9#11 on the guitar, and 25 derived voicings in 3 families.

One note away. Change a single note of A9#11 and you have A9 (with one note taken away), A9b5 (with one note taken away) or A13 (with one note moved).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x01020, 545445, 5x564x, 565655, xx7889, x-12-11-12-12-11, x-12-13-12-14-x.

Under the hand. 1 of the 7 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 3 open strings with 1 left unplayed. 3 of the 7 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 14th.

Where it goes. A9#11 is a dominant with its tension raised, so it still points at D — harder than a plain seventh does, because the altered tones sit a semitone from where they are going.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. A9#11 has 5454xx, x0564x, xx7687, x-12-11-12-12-x, 5x564x, 5458xx, x-12-x-12-14-11, x0x027.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. A9#11 has x2102x, x4544x, xx9889, x-x-11-12-12-11, x-14-13-12-14-x, xx1423, x4x443, xx5647.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. A9#11 has 005647, 04544x, x45440.

Tensions. A shell of A9#11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the b13 (F) and the 13 (F#).

What kind of chord this is. A9#11 is an altered chord — a dominant seventh with its fifth or ninth moved. altered dominant chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.