Fmaj11

Fmaj11 is F, A, C, E, G and Bb, a major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written 112211, lowest string first.

Also written FM11, FΔ11 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 Fmaj11 on the guitar, and 56 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Fmaj11 belongs to D minor (the ♭III) and F major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 112211, 112213, xx3355, x87966, x-8-8-9-10-8, 13-12-14-0-11-0, 13-12-x-x-11-12, 13-13-14-14-13-13.

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. Fmaj11 has 1023xx, xx3256, x-8-x-9-10-6, x-8-7-9-11-x, 13-x-14-14-11-x, 13-12-14-15-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Fmaj11 has 1122xx, xx3355, x-8-8-9-10-x, 13-13-14-14-x-x, x1325x, x7736x, 5733xx, 6879xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Fmaj11 has x1x251, 5x335x, x7x365, 6x796x, x-8-x-9-10-6, 12-x-8-10-10-x, x-12-x-10-11-12, 13-x-14-14-11-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Fmaj11 has x1221x, xx5355, xx7556, x-10-8-9-10-x, x-x-8-9-10-8, x-13-14-14-13-x, x1x253, x1x210.

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. Fmaj11 has 030355, x00056, 00036x, x0035x, 0033xx.

Tensions. A shell of Fmaj11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (D).

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