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B minor 11th chord on guitar (Bm11)
Also called or written Bm11 or Bmin11
B minor 11th contains B, D, F♯, A, C♯ and E. The 7th-fret barre is a full-finger stretch with the pinky reaching two frets higher.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionB–D–F♯–A–C♯–EBm117-7-7-7-7-9
- First inversionD–F♯–A–C♯–E–BBm11/D10-9-9-9-10-9
- Second inversionF♯–A–C♯–E–B–DBm11/F♯2-2-0-2-2-0
- Third inversionA–C♯–E–B–D–F♯Bm11/Ano shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionC♯–E–B–D–F♯–ABm11/C♯9-7-7-7-7-7
- Fifth inversionE–B–D–F♯–A–C♯Bm11/E0-2-0-2-2-2
How do you play a B minor 11th chord on guitar?
B minor 11th is played at the 7th fret as 7 7 7 7 7 9: barre your index finger across fret 7 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 (barre) | D (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret five strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 9th fret on the high E string.
Bm11/D inversion
B minor 11th is played at the 9th fret as 10 9 9 9 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the low E string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 3 | D (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | A (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (2) |
Bm11/F♯ inversion
B minor 11th is played in open position as 2 2 0 2 2 0: index finger on the low E string at fret 2, middle finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 2. The D and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (5) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (2) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (4) |
Bm11/C♯ inversion · fret 7
B minor 11th is played at the 7th fret as 9 7 7 7 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7 and pinky finger on the low E string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 (barre) | D (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
Bm11/C♯ inversion · fret 9
B minor 11th is played at the 9th fret as 9 9 9 9 10 10: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the B string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (4) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
B minor 11th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11. The 11th, E, adds a suspended colour above the minor seventh. Compare with B minor 9th, which stops at the ninth.
What goes wrong with B minor 11th?
- The 2nd string buzzes because the index barre lifts slightly at the 7th fret.
- The pinky fails to press the 1st string at the 9th fret, leaving the 11th muted.
When to use it
B minor 11th works as the vi in D major progressions like D–A–Bm–G, 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 B minor 11th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 6th fret gives B♭ minor 11th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 8th fret gives C minor 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 7th-fret position keeps B in the bass for a grounded root sound. The Bm11/D inversion at the 9th fret puts D in the bass, giving a darker, less stable colour.
Other B chords
Common questions
How is B minor 11th written?
B minor 11th is written Bmin11 or Bm11. The root is B, and it has no common enharmonic spelling.
What is the difference between B minor 11th and B minor 9th?
B minor 11th adds the 11th, E, to the notes of B minor 9th. The 11th creates a suspended, airy quality that the 9th lacks.
Why does the 7th-fret shape use a full barre?
The barre covers five strings at the 7th fret to sound the root, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh. Only the high E string is fretted separately with the pinky.