Dmmaj11

DmMaj11 is D, F, A, C#, E and G, a minor major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written xx0021, lowest string first.

Also written DmM11 or Dm(maj11). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for DmMaj11 on the guitar, and 61 derived voicings in 5 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx0021, x53653, x55665, x55775, 10-10-11-10-10-12, x-x-12-12-14-13, x-12-12-12-14-13.

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. DmMaj11 has x5x663, xx0663, 10-x-11-10-8-x, 10-8-11-12-x-x, x5368x, x-x-12-10-14-15.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. DmMaj11 has xx0021, x4303x, x5566x, 10-10-11-10-x-x, x-x-12-12-14-13, 1400xx, 3536xx, xx3633.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. DmMaj11 has 1x002x, x4x031, 3x363x, x5x663, 9x576x, x8x789, 10-x-11-10-8-x, x-10-x-10-14-10.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. DmMaj11 has xx2021, x0302x, xx3223, x4305x, x7566x, xx5665, x8768x, x-10-11-10-10-x.

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. DmMaj11 has 353600, 003633, x55660, 05566x, 0x3223, 3x3630.

Tensions. A shell of DmMaj11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (B).

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