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F major 11th chord on guitar (Fmaj11)
Also called or written Fmaj11 or FM11
F major 11th contains F, A, C, E, G, B♭. The 1st-fret grip demands a full barre and a pinky stretch to fret 3.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
- Root positionF–A–C–E–G–B♭Fmaj111-1-2-2-1-3
- First inversionA–C–E–G–B♭–FFmaj11/A5-3-3-3-5-3
- Second inversionC–E–G–B♭–F–AFmaj11/Cno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionE–G–B♭–F–A–CFmaj11/E0-0-3-3-1-3
- Fourth inversionG–B♭–F–A–C–EFmaj11/G3-0-3-3-1-0
- Fifth inversionB♭–F–A–C–E–GFmaj11/B♭6-7-5-5-6-5
How do you play an F major 11th chord on guitar?
F major 11th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 2 2 1 3: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | E (7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A string and high e cleanly while the pinky reaches fret 3.
13th fret
F major 11th is played at the 13th fret as 13 13 14 14 13 15: barre your index finger across fret 13, middle finger on the D string at fret 14, ring finger on the G string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 15.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 14 | 2 | E (7) |
| 3 (G) | 14 | 3 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (2) |
Fmaj11/A inversion · fret 3
F major 11th is played at the 3rd fret as 5 3 3 3 5 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the low E string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 3 | A (3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 4 | E (7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (2) |
Fmaj11/A inversion · fret 5
F major 11th is played at the 5th fret as 5 7 5 5 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 5, pinky finger on the A string at fret 7, middle finger on the B string at fret 6 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (3) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 4 | E (7) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (2) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 2 | F (1) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (4) |
Fmaj11/E inversion
F major 11th is played in open position as 0 0 3 3 1 3: middle finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, index finger on the B string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and A strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (7) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (2) |
Why it sounds like that
F major 11th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 over F. The 11th, B♭, adds a suspended color above the major 7th. Compare it with F major 9th, which stops at the 9th.
What goes wrong with F 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
F major 11th works as the tonic in F major, especially in the I–IV–V–I progression F–B♭–C–F. It suits jazz, neo-soul, and slow ballads where the added 11th softens the major 7th. Try it in place of F major for a lush ending.
Changing to and from F major 11th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ major 11th.
- From F major, lift the pinky and move the middle and ring fingers down one string each.
Which voicing to use
The 1st-fret voicing keeps F in the bass for a grounded root position. The A inversions put the third in the bass, making the chord sound brighter and less stable.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F major 11th written?
F major 11th is written as FM11 or Fmaj11. The root is F, and it has no enharmonic alias.
What is the difference between F major 11th and F major 9th?
F major 11th adds the 11th, B♭, to the five notes of F major 9th. The 11th creates a suspended sound against the major third.
Why does the 1st-fret shape use a barre?
The barre at fret 1 covers the root F on string 5, the fifth C on string 6, and the ninth G on string 2. It frees the other fingers for the 11th and major 7th.