Cmmaj11

CmMaj11 is C, Eb, G, B, D and F, a minor major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written x31001, lowest string first.

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

Also written CmM11 or Cm(maj11). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for CmMaj11 on the guitar, and 49 derived voicings in 4 families.

One note away. Change a single note of CmMaj11 and you have Cmaj11 (with one note moved), Cm11 (with one note moved) or CmMaj9 (with one note taken away).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x31001, x33443, x31431, x33553, 8-8-9-8-8-10, x-x-10-10-12-11, x-10-10-10-12-11.

Under the hand. 1 of the 7 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 2 open strings with 1 left unplayed. 4 of the 7 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. CmMaj11 has x3x441, 8x986x, 8-6-9-10-x-x, x3146x, x-x-10-8-12-13.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. CmMaj11 has x3344x, 8898xx, x-x-10-10-12-11, 1314xx, xx1411, xx3547, 7635xx, x6956x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. CmMaj11 has 1x141x, x3x441, 7x354x, x6x567, 8x986x, x-8-x-8-12-8, 11-x-10-10-12-x, x-14-x-10-13-11.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. CmMaj11 has xx1001, x2304x, x5344x, xx3443, x6546x, x8988x, x-x-12-10-12-11, x-x-13-12-12-13.

Tensions. A shell of CmMaj11, 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. CmMaj11 is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor 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.