G Dominant 11th (G11)

Download MIDI
1+3+5+b7+9+11
GBDFAC
4 4

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 (G11/B)

BDFACG

2nd inversion

D in the bass (G11/D)

DFACGB

3rd inversion

F in the bass (G11/F)

FACGBD

4th inversion

A in the bass (G11/A)

ACGBDF

5th inversion

C in the bass (G11/C)

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

Press G, B, D, F, A and C together on the keyboard and you're playing G Dominant 11th.

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 highlighted key on the diagram above, or tab to it and press Enter, to hear that single note. Inversions mark the bass note with a contrasting outline.