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D major 11th chord on guitar (Dmaj11)
Also called or written Dmaj11 or DM11
D major 11th contains D, F♯, A, C♯, E, G. The 10th-fret grip demands a full barre and a pinky stretch to fret 12.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
- Root positionD–F♯–A–C♯–E–GDmaj1110-10-11-11-10-12
- First inversionF♯–A–C♯–E–G–DDmaj11/F♯2-0-0-0-2-0
- Second inversionA–C♯–E–G–D–F♯Dmaj11/Ano shape on this instrument
- Third inversionC♯–E–G–D–F♯–ADmaj11/C♯no shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionE–G–D–F♯–A–C♯Dmaj11/E0-0-0-0-2-2
- Fifth inversionG–D–F♯–A–C♯–EDmaj11/G3-4-2-2-3-2
How do you play a D major 11th chord on guitar?
D major 11th is played at the 10th fret as 10 10 11 11 10 12: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the D string at fret 11, ring finger on the G string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (4) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | C♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 3 | F♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 4 | E (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A string and high e cleanly while the pinky reaches fret 12.
Dmaj11/F♯ inversion · open position — the easy shape, no barre
D major 11th is played in open position as 2 0 0 0 2 0: index finger on the low E string at fret 2 and middle finger on the B string at fret 2. The A, D, G and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (4) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (2) |
Dmaj11/F♯ inversion · fret 2
D major 11th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 2 2 3 3: barre your index finger across fret 2, pinky finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the B string at fret 3 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 2 | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | G (4) |
Dmaj11/F♯ inversion · fret 12
D major 11th is played at the 12th fret as 14 12 12 12 14 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, ring finger on the low E string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 3 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 1 (barre) | G (4) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
Dmaj11/E inversion
D major 11th is played in open position as 0 0 0 0 2 2: index finger on the B string at fret 2 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. The low E, A, D and G strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (2) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (4) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (3) |
Why it sounds like that
D major 11th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 over D. The 11th, G, adds a suspended color above the major 7th. Compare it with D major 9th, which stops at the 9th.
What goes wrong with D major 11th?
- Let the high e string buzz under the barre.
- Allow the pinky to flatten onto the B string.
- Mute the D string with the middle finger's underside.
When to use it
D major 11th works as the tonic in D major, especially in the I–IV–V–I progression D–G–A–D. It suits jazz, neo-soul, and slow ballads where the added 11th softens the major 7th. Try it in place of D major for a lush ending.
Changing to and from D major 11th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 8th fret gives C major 11th.
- From D major, lift the pinky and move the middle and ring fingers down one string each.
Which voicing to use
The 10th-fret voicing keeps D in the bass for a grounded root position. The F♯ inversions put the third in the bass, making the chord sound brighter and less stable.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D major 11th written?
D major 11th is written as DM11 or Dmaj11. The root is D, and it has no enharmonic alias.
What is the difference between D major 11th and D major 9th?
D major 11th adds the 11th, G, to the five notes of D major 9th. The 11th creates a suspended sound against the major third.
Why does the 10th-fret shape use a barre?
The barre at fret 10 covers the root D on string 5, the fifth A on string 6, and the ninth E on string 2. It frees the other fingers for the 11th and major 7th.