C♭ Major 11th
Hear the C♭ Major 11th chord played for you.
C♭maj11
C♭ – E – G – B – D – F
Formula:R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11
Intervals:P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11
Scale Degrees:1-3-5-7-9-11
Introduction
The C♭ Major 11th chord is a six-note chord made up of C♭, E, G, B, D, and F. It is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major ninth, and perfect eleventh.
The Cb Major 11th piano chord (Cbmaj11) consists of the notes Cb, E, G, B, D, F. It is a major 9th chord with an added perfect 11th, giving it a bright, expansive character with a dreamy quality found in jazz and contemporary classical music. Formula: R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11 | Scale degrees: 1-3-5-7-9-11.
Notes
Key Signature
The key of Cb Major 11th has 7 flats.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of Cb Major
These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the Cb major scale:
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
I — B Major (major)
Theory: Intervals
Formula: R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11
Intervals: P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11
The C♭ Major 11th is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11 show the distance between each note in the chord.
C♭ Major 11th — Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in the Cb Major 11th chord?
Practical voicing drops the third: Cb–Gb–Bb–Db–Fb. Enharmonic equivalent of Bmaj11.
How does Cbmaj11 differ from Cb11?
Cbmaj11 has major seventh (Bb). Cb11 has minor seventh (Bbb/A).
How is Cbmaj11 used in music?
Enharmonic equivalent of Bmaj11. Musicians use Bmaj11 in practice.
What songs use Major 11th chords?
Film scores, contemporary jazz, ambient. Sound identical regardless of spelling.
How does Cbmaj11 differ from Cbmaj9?
Adds the eleventh for expansive quality.
Do I need to play all six notes?
No — drop the third for clean voicing.
Practice Tips
- Cbmaj11 and Bmaj11 are enharmonic equivalents.
- When you see Cbmaj11, translate to Bmaj11.
- Drop the third to avoid the semitone clash.
- Keyboard notes identical regardless of spelling.
- Sustain for atmospheric effect.
- Understanding both spellings builds key fluency.
Related Tools
Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.