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C♯ Major 11th

Notes: C♯ - E♯ - G♯ - B♯ - D♯ - F♯ | Degrees: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 - 11 | Written: C♯maj11, C♯M11

Construction: Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 7th, Major 9th, Perfect 11th

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

D♭ Major 11th
This is the same chord as D♭ Major 11th: the same keys on the keyboard, spelled with flats.

Construction

C♯ Major 11th = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 7th + Major 2nd + Perfect 4th = C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯, D♯, F♯
NoteIntervalDegree
C♯Root1
E♯Major 3rd3
G♯Perfect 5th5
B♯Major 7th7
D♯Major 2nd9
F♯Perfect 4th11

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the C♯ Major 11th is the tonic (I) chord of C♯ Major, whose key signature has 7 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

FCGDAEB

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of C♯ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of C♯ Major:

C1C2C3C4E♯C5C6C7C8C♯G♯
IC♯ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IC♯ MajorMajor
2iiD♯ MinorMinor
3iiiE♯ MinorMinor
4IVF♯ MajorMajor
5VG♯ MajorMajor
6viA♯ MinorMinor
7vii°B♯ DiminishedDiminished

Scales That Include the C♯ Major 11th

C♯ Major 11th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the C♯ Major 11th chord on piano?
The C♯ Major 11th chord contains the notes C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B♯ – D♯ – F♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What is the C# piano chord?
The C# piano chord (written C♯ Major 11th) uses the same keys: C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B♯ – D♯ – F♯. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.
What notes are in the C# Major 11th chord?
C# Major 11th is built from the C# root. Check the interactive keyboard above for exact notes and fingering.
How is the C# Major 11th chord used in music?
C# Major 11th appears in jazz, pop, and classical contexts. Its sound depends on the chord quality (Major 11th).
What is the fingering for C# Major 11th?
See the fingering chart above. Right hand typically uses thumb on root. Left hand uses pinky on root.
What are the inversions of C# Major 11th?
Use the inversion buttons above to see each inversion with notes, fingering, and staff notation.

References and further reading

The visible claims on this chord page are grounded in these verified sources.

  1. 1. Karl W. Gehrkens (1914)

    Music Notation and Terminology

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2. A. Eaglefield Hull (1915)

    Modern Harmony: Its Explanation and Application, Whole-tone scale, pp. 69, 192 and glossary p. 219

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3. Ludwig van Beethoven (1802)

    Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ("Moonlight"), i

    Public domain score
  4. 4. piano.org

    piano.org chord note dataset: 43 chord types × 18 keys, derived from interval construction rules

    Primary data