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C♯ minor 11th chord on guitar (C♯m11)
Also called or written C♯m11 or C♯min11
C♯ minor 11th is built from C♯, E, G♯, B, D♯ and F♯. The 9th-fret barre with a pinky reach to the 11th fret tests left-hand stamina.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionC♯–E–G♯–B–D♯–F♯C♯m119-9-9-9-9-11
- First inversionE–G♯–B–D♯–F♯–C♯C♯m11/E12-11-11-11-12-11
- Second inversionG♯–B–D♯–F♯–C♯–EC♯m11/G♯no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionB–D♯–F♯–C♯–E–G♯C♯m11/Bno shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionD♯–F♯–C♯–E–G♯–BC♯m11/D♯11-9-9-9-9-9
- Fifth inversionF♯–C♯–E–G♯–B–D♯C♯m11/F♯no shape on this instrument
How do you play a C♯ minor 11th chord on guitar?
C♯ minor 11th is played at the 9th fret as 9 9 9 9 9 11: barre your index finger across fret 9 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | D♯ (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold five strings at the 9th fret while the pinky stretches to the 11th fret on the high e string.
C♯m11/E inversion
C♯ minor 11th is played at the 11th fret as 12 11 11 11 12 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the low E string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 12 | 3 | E (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 4 | B (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♯ (2) |
C♯m11/D♯ inversion · fret 9
C♯ minor 11th is played at the 9th fret as 11 9 9 9 9 9: barre your index finger across fret 9 and pinky finger on the low E string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 4 | D♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
C♯m11/D♯ inversion · fret 11
C♯ minor 11th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 11 11 12 12: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the B string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 4 | E (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
C♯ minor 11th stacks a minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd and perfect 4th above C♯. The 11th, F♯, adds a suspended colour that softens the minor 7th. Compare C♯ minor 9th, which omits the 11th and sounds more direct.
What goes wrong with C♯ minor 11th?
- The high e string is muted because the pinky touches it while fretting the 11th fret.
- The index barre fails to press the D string, leaving the 9th-fret note dead.
When to use it
C♯ minor 11th appears as the vi chord in E major progressions like E–B–C♯ minor–A, the I–V–vi–IV. Its rich, dark texture fits neo-soul and slow gospel ballads. Use it in place of C♯ minor when the arrangement needs more harmonic colour.
Changing to and from C♯ minor 11th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 8th fret gives C minor 11th; shift the barre and pinky together.
Which voicing to use
The 9th-fret voicing keeps C♯ in the bass for a solid root-position sound. The C♯m11/E inversion at the 11th fret puts E in the bass, creating a smoother, less grounded feel.
Other C♯ chords
Common questions
How is C♯ minor 11th written?
C♯ minor 11th is written C♯min11 or C♯m11. The ASCII root is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why does the 9th-fret barre feel harder than lower barres?
The 9th fret is near the middle of the neck, where string tension is higher and the frets are closer together. The pinky stretch to the 11th fret adds extra strain.
How does C♯ minor 11th differ from C♯ minor 9th?
C♯ minor 11th adds the 11th, F♯, to the minor 9th. That perfect 4th creates a more open, suspended sound than the 9th alone.