Cmaj11

Cmaj11 is C, E, G, B, D and F, a major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written x32001, lowest string first.

Note by note. C is the root, E is the major third, G is the fifth, B is the major seventh, D is the ninth and F is the eleventh.

Also written CM11, CΔ11 or C major 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for Cmaj11 on the guitar, and 55 derived voicings in 5 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Cmaj11 and you have Cmaj9 (with one note taken away), Cmaj13 (with one note moved) or CmMaj11 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of Cmaj11 belongs to C major (the I) and A minor (the ♭III).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x32001, x33000, x32411, x33453, 879060, 87xx67, 889988, 8-8-9-9-8-10, x-x-10-10-12-12.

Under the hand. 2 of the 9 shapes here sit in open position, and the first uses 2 open strings with 1 left unplayed. 3 of the 9 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 12th.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Cmaj11 has x3x451, x3246x, 8x996x, 8-7-9-10-x-x, x-x-10-9-12-13.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Cmaj11 has x3345x, 8899xx, x-x-10-10-12-12, 1324xx, xx2411, xx3557, 7735xx, x7956x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Cmaj11 has 1x241x, x3x451, 7x355x, x7x567, 8x996x, x-8-x-9-12-8, 12-x-10-10-12-x, x-14-x-10-13-12.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Cmaj11 has xx2001, x5345x, xx3453, x8998x, x-x-12-10-12-12, x-x-14-12-12-13, x5x451, x2x051.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Cmaj11 has 003453, 070567, 00300x, x33000, 03300x, x53000.

Tensions. A shell of Cmaj11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (A).

What kind of chord this is. Cmaj11 is a major chord — root, major third, fifth. major chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.