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C minor 11th chord on guitar (Cm11)
Also called or written Cm11 or Cmin11
C minor 11th contains C, E♭, G, B♭, D and F. The 8th-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 positionC–E♭–G–B♭–D–FCm118-8-8-8-8-10
- First inversionE♭–G–B♭–D–F–CCm11/E♭11-10-10-10-11-10
- Second inversionG–B♭–D–F–C–E♭Cm11/Gno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionB♭–D–F–C–E♭–GCm11/B♭no shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionD–F–C–E♭–G–B♭Cm11/D10-8-8-8-8-8
- Fifth inversionF–C–E♭–G–B♭–DCm11/Fno shape on this instrument
How do you play a C minor 11th chord on guitar?
C minor 11th is played at the 8th fret as 8 8 8 8 8 10: barre your index finger across fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (4) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret five strings at the 8th fret while the pinky reaches the 10th fret on the high E string.
Cm11/E♭ inversion
C minor 11th is played at the 10th fret as 11 10 10 10 11 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the low E string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (4) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 4 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (2) |
Cm11/D inversion · fret 8
C minor 11th is played at the 8th fret as 10 8 8 8 8 8: barre your index finger across fret 8 and pinky finger on the low E string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 4 | D (2) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (4) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
Cm11/D inversion · fret 10
C minor 11th is played at the 10th fret as 10 10 10 10 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the B string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (2) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (4) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
C minor 11th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11. The 11th, F, adds a suspended colour above the minor seventh. Compare with C minor 9th, which omits the 11th.
What goes wrong with C minor 11th?
- The 4th string buzzes because the index barre is not pressing evenly at the 8th fret.
- The pinky fails to fret the 1st string at the 10th fret, muting the 11th.
When to use it
C minor 11th appears as the vi in E♭ major progressions like E♭–B♭–Cm–A♭, the I–V–vi–IV. It fits jazz ballads and R&B where the 11th adds warmth.
Changing to and from C minor 11th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 7th fret gives B minor 11th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 9th fret gives C♯ minor 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 8th-fret position keeps C in the bass for a solid root. The Cm11/E♭ inversion at the 10th fret puts E♭ in the bass, creating a darker, more unstable sound.
Other C chords
Common questions
How is C minor 11th written?
C minor 11th is written Cmin11 or Cm11. The root is C, and it has no common enharmonic spelling.
What is the difference between C minor 11th and C minor 9th?
C minor 11th adds the 11th, F, to the notes of C minor 9th. The 11th creates a suspended quality that the 9th does not have.
Why does the 8th-fret shape use a full barre?
The barre covers five strings at the 8th fret to sound the root, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh. Only the high E string is fretted separately with the pinky.