Also written B♭m11 or B♭min11
B♭ minor 11th is built from B♭, D♭, F, A♭, C, and E♭. The 6th-fret barre demands a full five-string barre plus a pinky stretch to the 8th fret.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
B♭ minor 11th stacks a minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, and perfect 4th over B♭. The minor 3rd between B♭ and D♭ gives the chord its minor quality. Compare B♭ minor 9th, which omits the 11th.
B♭ minor 11th suits dark jazz and neo-soul textures where the 11th adds tension over the minor 7th. Compare B♭ minor for a simpler voicing.
The 6th-fret voicing puts the root B♭ in the bass for a grounded sound. The B♭m11/D♭ inversion at the 8th fret places D♭ in the bass, softening the chord for smoother voice leading.
B♭ minor 11th is played at the 6th fret as 6 6 6 6 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8.
Tip — The index barre must cover five strings at the 6th fret while the pinky reaches the 8th fret on the high e.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (11) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (9) |
B♭ minor 11th is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 8 8 9 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the low E string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 3 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (11) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (9) |
B♭ minor 11th is played at the 6th fret as 8 6 6 6 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6 and pinky finger on the low E string at fret 8.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 4 | C (9) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (11) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
B♭ minor 11th is played at the 8th fret as 8 8 8 8 9 9: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the B string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 9.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (9) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (11) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 4 | D♭ (♭3) |
B♭ minor 11th is written B♭min11 or B♭m11. On a keyboard, type Bb for the root. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
B♭ minor 11th adds the 11th, E♭, to the B♭ minor 9th notes B♭, D♭, F, A♭, and C. The 11th creates a perfect 4th above the root, adding a suspended color.
The minor 3rd D♭ and minor 7th A♭ establish a minor tonality. The 11th E♭ adds a perfect 4th that creates a dense, moody voicing.