Cm11

Cm11 is C, Eb, G, Bb, D and F, a minor eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written x31331, lowest string first.

Also written Cmin11, C-11 or C minor 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Cm11 on the guitar, and 54 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Cm11 belongs to C minor (the i), Eb major (the vi), G minor (the iv) and Bb major (the ii).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x31331, x33343, 868766, 8x886x, 8-8-8-8-8-10, x-x-10-10-11-11, x-15-13-15-13-13.

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. Cm11 has x3x341, 8x886x, 8-6-8-10-x-x, x3136x, x3886x, 8-13-13-10-x-x, x-x-10-8-11-13.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Cm11 has 1313xx, xx1311, x3334x, xx8868, 8888xx, x-x-10-10-11-11, 13-15-13-15-x-x, x-x-13-15-13-13.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Cm11 has 1x131x, x3x341, 6x354x, x6x566, 8x886x, x-8-x-8-11-8, 11-x-10-10-11-x, x-13-x-10-13-11.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Cm11 has xx1331, x5334x, xx3343, x6876x, x8888x, x-x-12-10-11-11, x-x-13-12-11-13, x5x341.

Tensions. A shell of Cm11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (A).

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