C#mmaj11

C#mMaj11 is C#, E, G#, B#, D# and F#, a minor major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written x42542, lowest string first.

Also written C#mM11 or C#m(maj11). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for C#mMaj11 on the guitar, and 47 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x42542, x44554, x44664, 9-9-10-9-9-11, x-x-11-11-13-12, x-11-11-11-13-12.

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. C#mMaj11 has x4x552, 9-x-10-9-7-x, 9-7-10-11-x-x, x4257x, x-x-11-9-13-14.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. C#mMaj11 has x4455x, 9-9-10-9-x-x, x-x-11-11-13-12, 2425xx, xx2522, xx4658, 8746xx, x-7-10-6-7-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. C#mMaj11 has 2x252x, x4x552, 8x465x, x7x678, 9-x-10-9-7-x, x-9-x-9-13-9, 12-x-11-11-13-x, x-15-x-11-14-12.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. C#mMaj11 has xx2112, x6455x, xx4554, x7657x, x-9-10-9-9-x, x-x-13-11-13-12, x-x-14-13-13-14, x3x152.

Tensions. A shell of C#mMaj11, 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.