B♭11 Chord on Guitar

B♭11 is the B♭ dominant 11th chord — 6 notes (B♭, D, F, A♭, C, E♭) built from the formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9 11. Below are playable shapes across the fretboard, the keys it belongs to and the scales to use when soloing over it.

Notes: B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C · E♭Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11Hear it and see it on the fretboard ▸

B♭11: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • B♭11 – open position×R3♭7115open position
  • B♭11 – fret 1×R11♭795fret 1
  • B♭11 – fret 33R95R11♭7fret 3
  • B♭11 – fret 66R11♭7359fret 6
  • B♭11 – fret 88××R11♭79fret 8
  • B♭11 – fret 1111×R3♭7R11fret 11
  • B♭11 – fret 1313×R11♭795fret 13

B♭11: Shell voicings (jazz)

  • B♭11 – R-3-75R3♭7×××R-3-7
  • B♭11 – R-3-712×R3♭7××R-3-7
  • B♭11 – R-7-36R×♭73××R-7-3
  • B♭11 – R-7-3×R×♭73×R-7-3

Keys that contain B♭11

Scales to play over B♭11

Ordered from the most common choice. All of them contain B♭, D, F, A♭, C, E♭.

Other B♭ chords

Dominant 11th chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the B♭11 chord?
B♭11 (B♭ dominant 11th) contains B♭, D, F, A♭, C, E♭ — formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9 11.
How do you play B♭11 on guitar?
A common shape is x10141 (low E to high E, x = muted string, open position). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with B♭11?
Good choices to solo over B♭11: B♭ Mixolydian, B♭ Mixolydian ♭6.
What key is B♭11 in?
B♭11 is diatonic in E♭ major (V11), C minor (♭VII11).