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F minor 11th chord on guitar (Fm11)
Also called or written Fm11 or Fmin11
F minor 11th contains F, A♭, C, E♭, G and B♭. The 1st-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 positionF–A♭–C–E♭–G–B♭Fm111-1-1-1-1-3
- First inversionA♭–C–E♭–G–B♭–FFm11/A♭4-3-3-3-4-3
- Second inversionC–E♭–G–B♭–F–A♭Fm11/Cno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionE♭–G–B♭–F–A♭–CFm11/E♭no shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionG–B♭–F–A♭–C–E♭Fm11/G3-1-1-1-1-1
- Fifth inversionB♭–F–A♭–C–E♭–GFm11/B♭no shape on this instrument
How do you play an F minor 11th chord on guitar?
F minor 11th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 1 1 3: barre your index finger across fret 1 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) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret five strings at the 1st fret while the pinky reaches the 3rd fret on the high E string.
13th fret
F minor 11th is played at the 13th fret as 13 13 13 13 13 15: barre your index finger across fret 13 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) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (2) |
Fm11/A♭ inversion
F minor 11th is played at the 3rd fret as 4 3 3 3 4 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the low E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 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) | 4 | 4 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (2) |
Fm11/G inversion · fret 1
F minor 11th is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 1 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1 and pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (2) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
Fm11/G inversion · fret 3
F minor 11th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 3 3 3 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the B string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (2) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
F minor 11th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11. The 11th, B♭, adds a suspended colour above the minor seventh. Compare with F minor 9th, which stops at the ninth.
What goes wrong with F minor 11th?
- The 4th string buzzes because the index barre is not pressing evenly at the 1st fret.
- The pinky fails to fret the 1st string at the 3rd fret, muting the 11th.
When to use it
F minor 11th appears as the vi in A♭ major progressions like A♭–E♭–Fm–D♭, the I–V–vi–IV. It fits jazz ballads and R&B where the 11th adds warmth.
Changing to and from F minor 11th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ minor 11th.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives G minor 11th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st-fret position keeps F in the bass for a solid root. The Fm11/A♭ inversion at the 3rd fret puts A♭ in the bass, creating a darker, more unstable sound.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F minor 11th written?
F minor 11th is written Fmin11 or Fm11. The root is F, and it has no common enharmonic spelling.
What is the difference between F minor 11th and F minor 9th?
F minor 11th adds the 11th, B♭, to the notes of F minor 9th. The 11th creates a suspended quality that the 9th does not have.
Why does the 1st-fret shape use a full barre?
The barre covers five strings at the 1st fret to sound the root, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh. Only the high E string is fretted separately with the pinky.