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G minor 11th chord on guitar (Gm11)
Also called or written Gm11 or Gmin11
G minor 11th contains G, B♭, D, F, A and C. The open position is a stretchy shape with three fretted notes and three open strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11
- Root positionG–B♭–D–F–A–CGm113-0-0-3-1-1
- First inversionB♭–D–F–A–C–GGm11/B♭6-5-5-5-6-5
- Second inversionD–F–A–C–G–B♭Gm11/Dno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionF–A–C–G–B♭–DGm11/F1-0-0-3-1-3
- Fourth inversionA–C–G–B♭–D–FGm11/A5-3-3-3-3-3
- Fifth inversionC–G–B♭–D–F–AGm11/Cno shape on this instrument
How do you play a G minor 11th chord on guitar?
G minor 11th is played in open position as 3 0 0 3 1 1: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3, index finger on the B string at fret 1 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The A and D strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (2) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (4) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (♭7) |
AdvancedThe open position requires stretching the pinky to the 3rd fret on the 3rd string while keeping the 5th and 4th strings open.
3rd fret
G minor 11th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 3 3 3 3 5: barre your index finger across fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (4) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (5) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | A (2) |
Gm11/B♭ inversion
G minor 11th is played at the 5th fret as 6 5 5 5 6 5: barre your index finger across fret 5, ring finger on the low E string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (barre) | D (5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | F (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (2) |
Gm11/F inversion
G minor 11th is played in open position as 1 0 0 3 1 3: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A and D strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (♭7) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (2) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (4) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (1) |
Gm11/A inversion
G minor 11th is played at the 3rd fret as 5 3 3 3 3 3: barre your index finger across fret 3 and pinky finger on the low E string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 4 | A (2) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (4) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (5) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
Why it sounds like that
G minor 11th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11. The 11th, C, adds a suspended colour above the minor seventh. Compare with G minor 9th, which stops at the ninth.
What goes wrong with G minor 11th?
- The 5th string is muted because the ring finger touches it while fretting the 6th string.
- The 4th string is muted because the pinky touches it while fretting the 3rd string.
When to use it
G minor 11th works as the vi in B♭ major progressions like B♭–F–Gm–E♭, the I–V–vi–IV. It suits folk, rock and ballads where the open strings add resonance.
Changing to and from G minor 11th
- Move to G minor by lifting the pinky and middle finger, leaving the ring and index fingers.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps G in the bass for a grounded root sound. The Gm11/B♭ inversion at the 5th fret puts B♭ in the bass, giving a darker, less stable colour.
Other G chords
Common questions
How is G minor 11th written?
G minor 11th is written Gmin11 or Gm11. The root is G, and it has no common enharmonic spelling.
What is the difference between G minor 11th and G minor 9th?
G minor 11th adds the 11th, C, to the notes of G minor 9th. The 11th creates a suspended quality that the 9th does not have.
Why does the open position use three fretted notes?
The open strings provide the fifth, seventh and ninth, while the fretted notes add the root, third and eleventh. The shape balances open resonance with fretted clarity.