Arpeggio quality
11
The dominant eleventh extends the dominant ninth with a perfect eleventh, the fourth degree an octave up. Against the major third the eleventh creates a strong suspended rub, so this quality is usually heard as a dominant with a built-in delay — it leans toward resolution but keeps hovering. In practice many voicings omit the third to let the fourth ring cleanly, which is why the chord can sound more like a sus chord than a dominant. Funk, fusion and modern jazz use it over long vamps. Listen for the fourth fighting the third: that friction is the quality's defining feature.
- Formula
- 1 3 5 ♭7 9 11
- Notes
- C♯ E♯ G♯ B D♯ F♯
- Family
- Dominant
Notation in C♯
representative keyFretboard — frets 0–12
All 17 keys
open a key →Same family
How to practise this arpeggio
- Play the eleventh against the major third and hear the friction.
- Drop the third and listen to the chord become suspended.
- Loop it over a fusion vamp and let the fourth hover.
- Compare it with the 9 chord and hear the extra openness.