F#maj11

F#maj11 is F#, A#, C#, E#, G# and B, a major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written 223322, lowest string first.

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

Also written F#M11, F#Δ11 or F# major 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for F#maj11 on the guitar, and 53 derived voicings in 4 families.

One note away. Change a single note of F#maj11 and you have F#maj9 (with one note taken away), F#maj13 (with one note moved) or F#mMaj11 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of F#maj11 belongs to Eb minor (the ♭III) and F# major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 223322, 223324, xx4466, x-9-8-10-7-7, x-9-8-10-0-9, x-9-9-10-11-9, 14-13-x-x-12-13, 14-14-15-15-14-14.

Under the hand. None of the shapes for F#maj11 uses an open string, so every one of them is movable; the lowest sits at the 2nd fret. 4 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 2nd fret to the 15th.

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. F#maj11 has 2134xx, 2x330x, xx4367, x-9-x-10-11-7, x-9-8-10-12-x, 14-x-15-15-12-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. F#maj11 has xx3302, 2233xx, xx4466, x-9-9-10-11-x, 14-14-15-15-x-x, x2436x, x8847x, 6844xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. F#maj11 has x2x362, 2x330x, 6x446x, x8x476, 7-x-8-10-7-x, x-9-x-10-11-7, 13-x-9-11-11-x, x-13-x-11-12-13.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. F#maj11 has x1310x, x2332x, xx3304, xx6466, xx8667, x-11-9-10-11-x, x-x-9-10-11-9, x-14-15-15-14-x.

Tensions. A shell of F#maj11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (D#).

What kind of chord this is. F#maj11 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.