Ebmaj11

Ebmaj11 is Eb, G, Bb, D, F and Ab, a major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written xx1133, lowest string first.

Also written EbM11, EbΔ11 or Eb major 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for Ebmaj11 on the guitar, and 57 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ebmaj11 belongs to C minor (the ♭III) and Eb major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx1133, x65744, x66786, 11-10-x-x-9-10, 11-11-12-12-11-11, 11-11-12-12-11-13.

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. Ebmaj11 has xx1034, x6x034, x6x784, x6579x, 11-x-12-12-9-x, 11-10-12-13-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ebmaj11 has xx1133, x6678x, 11-11-12-12-x-x, x-x-13-13-15-15, x5514x, 3511xx, 4657xx, xx5744.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Ebmaj11 has 3x113x, x5x143, 4x574x, x6x784, 10-x-6-8-8-x, x-10-x-8-9-10, 11-x-12-12-9-x, x-11-x-12-15-11.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Ebmaj11 has xx3133, xx5334, x8678x, xx6786, x-11-12-12-11-x, x-x-15-13-15-15, x1513x, x1x133.

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. Ebmaj11 has xx0044, 4300xx, 4x004x.

Tensions. A shell of Ebmaj11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (C).

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