What chord is this and what is it known as?

[FoxHound4690]

Hey guys, first up apologies if this is a bit off topic since it's a question about chords and not about guitars themselves.... I know this thread will probably get "moved" by the moderators but I wanted to post here since I know I can get the straight answers i'm looking for?

https://youtu.be/NeIQrxSlFf4?t=567

at exactly 9:30 he's playing a strange looking chord and i've seen alot of musicians and players play this chord, it's where he has middle finger on the bass note of the 6th string as if you were to play a G chord, but then he has 2 other fingers on what looks like the D, G, and B strings. Is this some kind of funny inverted type of chord?

[Scott_19]

Am11

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[‘63-Strat]

It looks and sounds like a Bmin11 then he moves the root down a half step so becomes a Bbmaj7b5 to me.

You could argue it is an Asus/B that goes to Asus/Bb but without a C in there I do not see it as an Amin11...

[Scott_19]

Originally Posted by ‘63-Strat

It looks and sounds like a Bmin11 then he moves the root down a half step so becomes a Bbmaj7b5 to me.

You could argue it is an Asus/B that goes to Asus/Bb but without a C in there I do not see it as an Amin11...

I looked at the wrong fret. It’s a bm11

[‘63-Strat]

Originally Posted by Scott_19

I looked at the wrong fret. It’s a bm11

Bmin11 and Asus/B are the same notes here so it is both just depends on what you are considering the root.

[NoodleFingers]

FYI: This site will happily name any chord you can come up with.

[1neeto]

Hard time seeing. Is the middle finger on the Bb note or B note?

[‘63-Strat]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

Hard time seeing. Is the middle finger on the Bb note or B note?

He does both, first B, then Bb. It’s very clear in audio.

[Gordon Currie]

Bm11 followed by Bb maj7 #11.

The reason I call the second chord a #11 instead of b5 is because I can imagine playing over it using Bb C D E F G A.
If it was a b5 chord, the scale would be Bb C D Eb E Gb Ab which is a pretty unusual scale.

[JonPR]

Gordon is right: Bm11 and Bbmaj7#11.

The notes are B-A-D-E in the first chord and Bb-A-D-E in the 2nd.

There's no 5th in either chord, but (without any other context) we'd probably assume F# in the first one and F in the second.

You can appreciate the sound of each chord with its 5th if you play them in open position:

x-2-4-2-3-0 and x-1-3-2-3-0.

For richer versions of both chords (6 different notes), try these:

Bm11
0 = E (11)
2 = C# (9)
2 = A (7)
0 = D (3)
2 = B (1)
2 = F# (5)
(There are a couple of really stretchy options with all 6 notes and B as 6th string root...)

Bbmaj9#11
0 = E (11)
1 = C (9)
2 = A (7)
0 = D (3)
1 = Bb (1)
1 = F (5)

- or with root on 6th (index partial barre on 5):
0 = E (11)
6 = F (5)
5 = C (9)
7 = A (7)
5 = D (3)
6 = Bb (1)

[‘63-Strat]

I actually agree #11 probably makes more sense on a major chord generally, fwiw. But we are talking enharmonic equivalents though not different chords, lol.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by ‘63-Strat

I actually agree #11 probably makes more sense on a major chord generally, fwiw. But we are talking enharmonic equivalents though not different chords, lol.

True.

The enharmonic choice is really about what scale might fit the chord (if that matters). "b5" in a chord name suggests there is no perfect 5th in the scale, which is not the case with a maj7 chord. Obviously when the chord has no 5th, then a #4/#11 sounds like a b5, which is why that symbol gets used.