Gmmaj11

GmMaj11 is G, Bb, D, F#, A and C, a minor major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written 334335, lowest string first.

Also written GmM11 or Gm(maj11). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for GmMaj11 on the guitar, and 54 derived voicings in 5 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 334335, xx5576, x55576, x-10-8-11-10-8, x-10-10-11-11-10, x-10-10-12-12-10.

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. GmMaj11 has 3x431x, 3145xx, x-10-x-11-11-8, xx5378, x-10-8-11-13-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. GmMaj11 has 3343xx, xx5576, x-10-10-11-11-x, xx4313, x1401x, x3537x, x9858x, 6955xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. GmMaj11 has x1x012, 3x431x, x3x373, 6x557x, x9x586, 8-x-8-11-8-x, x-10-x-11-11-8, 14-x-10-12-11-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. GmMaj11 has xx0312, x3433x, xx7576, xx8778, x-12-10-11-11-x, x-x-10-11-11-10, x-13-12-11-13-x, xx4315.

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. GmMaj11 has x34330, 6x5570, x05576.

Tensions. A shell of GmMaj11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (E).

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