Lifetime Struggle With The Dreaded 7#11 Chord

[Steve Berger]

I don't have fat fingers but try as I might, I just cannot seem to consistently play a nice sounding 7#11 chord much less make a smooth transition to it in a chord melody arrangement.

The 7#11 chord I am referring to is voiced X87887 (F7#11 in this example).

The best I've come up with is leaving out the 3rd (A in this example) which is an OK but not great solution. Works as long as the 'A' is not the melody note.

Any suggestions or workarounds are welcome!

[stanron]

You are playing a G on the second string which does not fit the chord name. Why not just mute that string with the finger on the third string. That's an easy shape to finger. Unless you really want an F9#11 of course.

[clintj]

Found a few different voicings for the F7#11 chord here along with pics of how to finger them. That fingering is indeed an F9#11.

http://chord-c.com/guitar-chord/F/do...harp-eleventh/

[Steve Berger]

Originally Posted by stanron

You are playing a G on the second string which does not fit the chord name. Why not just mute that string with the finger on the third string. That's an easy shape to finger. Unless you really want an F9#11 of course.

You are correct. Thanks for the suggestion.

Found a few different voicings for the F7#11 chord here along with pics of how to finger them. That fingering is indeed an F9#11.

http://chord-c.com/guitar-chord/F/do...harp-eleventh/

Thanks for posting this I appreciate it.

[rick-slo]

If you like this fingering X87887 (regardless of the chord name) try a full barre (or at least five strings) of the seventh fret and lay the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers down for the remaining notes. As you are moving to the chord from another location pre bunch your fingers in the correct shape.

[Steve Berger]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

If you like this fingering X87887 (regardless of the chord name) try a full barre (or at least five strings) of the seventh fret and lay the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers down for the remaining notes. As you are moving to the chord from another location pre bunch your fingers in the correct shape.

Thanks, but squeezing three fingers onto notes on the eighth fret while making a barre on the seventh fret and making a clear sounding chord is not humanly possible (at least by this human.)

[Paikon]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

If you like this fingering X87887 (regardless of the chord name) try a full barre (or at least five strings) of the seventh fret and lay the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers down for the remaining notes. As you are moving to the chord from another location pre bunch your fingers in the correct shape.

thats more easier !

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Steve Berger

Thanks, but squeezing three fingers onto notes on the eighth fret while making a barre on the seventh fret and making a clear sounding chord is not humanly possible (at least by this human.)

Perhaps not, but if you are not doing it already you will find that you will have more room by angling the barre. The tip of the index finger is right on the eighth fret and on the other side of the fretboard the index finger is barely past the seventh fret. Practice on lower frets where there is more room. The big advantage of the barre is having the fingers bunch against the index finger in the right position in advance (mid air) ready to go right fretted chord shape.

[Steve Berger]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Perhaps not, but if you are not doing it already you will find that you will have more room by angling the barre. The tip of the index finger is right on the eighth fret and on the other side of the fretboard the index finger is barely past the seventh fret. Practice on lower frets where there is more room. The big advantage of the barre is having the fingers bunch against the index finger in the right position in advance (mid air) ready to go right fretted chord shape.

Thanks very much for your in-depth explanation. I'll give it a shot this weekend.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Steve Berger

I don't have fat fingers but try as I might, I just cannot seem to consistently play a nice sounding 7#11 chord much less make a smooth transition to it in a chord melody arrangement.

The 7#11 chord I am referring to is voiced X87887 (F7#11 in this example).

The best I've come up with is leaving out the 3rd (A in this example) which is an OK but not great solution. Works as long as the 'A' is not the melody note.

Any suggestions or workarounds are welcome!

stanton is right that the 9th is superfluous, but I find it easier to include that than find a voicing without it (or to mute it in that shape).

Your shape is always my favoured one for 7#11 (9#11) chords, but I would either omit the root (if there's a bassist you don't need it) - play top 4 strings only - or if I really want the full version (with 5th too!) wrap my thumb over to fret both bottom strings:

-7- = #11 = middle
-8- = 9 = pinky
-8- = b7 = ring
-7- = 3 = index
-8- = R = thumb
-8- = 5 = thumb

That's a nice rich sound, and I find it a little easier than the barre method described above - but YMMV. (And I wouldn't be going for that in an uptempo tune with fast changes...)

Here's an easy alternative with root, and no 5th or 9th:

-7-
-6-
-8-
-7-
---
---

(but I think 9th in place of root sounds better)

F9#11 with root on 6th:

----
-12-
-12-
-13-
-12-
-13-

(maybe a squeeze for F9#11, but OK for others lower on neck)

[Steve Berger]

Originally Posted by JonPR

stanton is right that the 9th is superfluous, but I find it easier to include that than find a voicing without it (or to mute it in that shape).

Your shape is always my favoured one for 7#11 (9#11) chords, but I would either omit the root (if there's a bassist you don't need it) - play top 4 strings only - or if I really want the full version (with 5th too!) wrap my thumb over to fret both bottom strings:

-7- = #11 = middle
-8- = 9 = pinky
-8- = b7 = ring
-7- = 3 = index
-8- = R = thumb
-8- = 5 = thumb

That's a nice rich sound, and I find it a little easier than the barre method described above - but YMMV. (And I wouldn't be going for that in an uptempo tune with fast changes...)

Here's an easy alternative with root, and no 5th or 9th:

-7-
-6-
-8-
-7-
---
---

(but I think 9th in place of root sounds better)

F9#11 with root on 6th:

----
-12-
-12-
-13-
-12-
-13-

(maybe a squeeze for F9#11, but OK for others lower on neck)

Thanks for the helpful input. You must have some fairly large mitts to pull off the double-string thumb cover.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Steve Berger

Thanks for the helpful input. You must have some fairly large mitts to pull off the double-string thumb cover.

Nope. Average hands. (But I've been playing a long time, so more flexible than average...)
It would be a struggle on a classical neck, admittedly, and is not exactly comfortable on my Guild F30; and only a little easier on my Tele.
That's why I said it's not a shape I'd be going for when speed was an issue .

[815C]

Here's a fingering for F7#11 that's not too bad...


--8------------ C = 5th
--10----------- A = 3rd
--8------------ Eb = b7th
--9------------ B = #11
--8------------ F = root/1st
---------------

or with the 9th....

--8------------ C = 5th
--8------------ G = 9th
--8------------ Eb = b7th
--9------------ B = #11
--8------------ F = root/1st
---------------

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by JonPR

...That's why I said it's not a shape I'd be going for when speed was an issue…

Hi Jon...

To quote a friend of mine from the local sheriff's department "Speed is always an issue…"

[815C]

One more fingering that's not too hard...

C7#11

---------------
--7------------ F# = #11
--7------------ D = 9th
--8------------ Bb = b7th
---------------
--8------------ C = Root/1st = root/1st

or

---------------
--7------------ F# = #11
--7------------ D = 9th
--8------------ Bb = b7th
--7------------ E = 3rd
--8------------ C = Root/1st = root/1st