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A minor 11th chord on guitar (Am11)
Also called or written Am11 or Amin11
A minor 11th contains A, C, E, G, B and D. The 5th-fret barre demands a full index finger across five strings plus a pinky stretch to the 7th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionA–C–E–G–B–DAm115-5-5-5-5-7
- First inversionC–E–G–B–D–AAm11/C8-7-7-7-8-7
- Second inversionE–G–B–D–A–CAm11/E0-2-0-2-1-3
- Third inversionG–B–D–A–C–EAm11/G3-2-0-2-1-0
- Fourth inversionB–D–A–C–E–GAm11/B7-5-5-5-5-5
- Fifth inversionD–A–C–E–G–BAm11/Dno shape on this instrument
How do you play an A minor 11th chord on guitar?
A minor 11th is played at the 5th fret as 5 5 5 5 5 7: barre your index finger across fret 5 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (barre) | D (4) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 4 | B (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret five strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 7th fret on the high E string.
Am11/C inversion
A minor 11th is played at the 7th fret as 8 7 7 7 8 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the low E string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 3 | C (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 (barre) | D (4) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (2) |
Am11/E inversion · 0-2-0-2-1-3
A minor 11th is played in open position as 0 2 0 2 1 3: middle finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 2, index finger on the B string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and D strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (5) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (2) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (4) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭7) |
Am11/E inversion · 0-3-0-2-0-3 — the easy shape, no barre
A minor 11th is played in open position as 0 3 0 2 0 3: middle finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the G string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E, D and B strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (5) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 2 | C (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (4) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (2) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | G (♭7) |
Am11/G inversion
A minor 11th is played in open position as 3 2 0 2 1 0: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3, middle finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and index finger on the B string at fret 1. The D and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (♭7) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (2) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (4) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (5) |
Why it sounds like that
A minor 11th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11. The 11th, D, adds a suspended colour above the minor seventh. Compare with A minor 9th, which stops at the ninth.
What goes wrong with A minor 11th?
- The 2nd string buzzes because the index barre lifts slightly at the 5th fret.
- The pinky fails to press the 1st string at the 7th fret, leaving the 9th muted.
When to use it
A minor 11th works as the vi in C major progressions like C–G–Am–F, the I–V–vi–IV. It suits jazz, neo-soul and slow blues where the added 11th softens the minor sound.
Changing to and from A minor 11th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 3rd fret gives G minor 11th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 6th fret gives B♭ minor 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 5th-fret position keeps A in the bass for a grounded root sound. The Am11/C inversion at the 7th fret puts C in the bass, giving a darker, less stable colour.
Other A chords
Common questions
How is A minor 11th written?
A minor 11th is written Amin11 or Am11. The root is A, and it has no common enharmonic spelling.
What is the difference between A minor 11th and A minor 9th?
A minor 11th adds the 11th, D, to the notes of A minor 9th. The 11th creates a suspended, airy quality that the 9th lacks.
Why does the 5th-fret shape use a full barre?
The barre covers five strings at the 5th fret to sound the root, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh. Only the high E string is fretted separately with the pinky.