Fmmaj11

FmMaj11 is F, Ab, C, E, G and Bb, a minor major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written 112113, lowest string first.

Also written FmM11 or Fm(maj11). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for FmMaj11 on the guitar, and 51 derived voicings in 5 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 112113, xx3354, x33354, x86986, x88998, x-8-8-10-10-8, 13-13-14-13-13-15.

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. FmMaj11 has x8x996, 13-x-14-13-11-x, 13-11-14-15-x-x, xx3156, x-8-6-9-11-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. FmMaj11 has 1121xx, xx3354, x8899x, 13-13-14-13-x-x, x1315x, x7636x, 4733xx, 6869xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. FmMaj11 has x1x151, 4x335x, x7x364, 6x696x, x8x996, 12-x-8-10-9-x, x-11-x-10-11-12, 13-x-14-13-11-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. FmMaj11 has x1211x, xx5354, xx6556, x-10-8-9-9-x, xx8998, x-11-10-9-11-x, x-13-14-13-13-x, x1x153.

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. FmMaj11 has 030354.

Tensions. A shell of FmMaj11, 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.