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Guitar chords · Minor 11th

Am11 chord on guitar

Am11 (A minor 11th) has six notes: A, C, E, G, B and D, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 11.

Shapes

How to play Am11

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

Am11 has an , and one : the E shape at 5. A movable shape keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • Open (A shape)

    ×♭3ADGCE
  • E shape · fret 5

    3fr××R♭7♭311AGCD
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes Am11 minor 11th

A minor 11th chord stacks the 9th and the 11th on a minor . On a minor chord the 11th does not clash, so it stays: keep the ♭3rd, the ♭7th and the 11th, and drop the 5th or the 9th. It has an open, floating sound heard in funk and fusion.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd, the ♭7th and the 11th make Am11 a minor 11th chord; you can leave out the 5th and the 9th.

  1. ARroot
  2. C♭3essential
  3. E5optional
  4. G♭7essential
  5. B9optional
  6. D11essential
EADGBE0135791215AAAAAAAAEGBCDEGBCDEGBCDEGBCDEGBCDEGBCDEGBCDEGBCDEG
  • A, the root
  • Other chord tones

Am11 often leads to D7 and then G: the ii11–V7–I of G major.

Keys

Keys with Am11

Am11 belongs to four keys: C major (vi11), G major (ii11), A minor (i11) and E minor (iv11).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

Am11 over another bass note

A keeps Am11 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • Am11/C

    Am11 with its ♭3rd, C, in the bass.

  • Am11/E

    Am11 with its 5th, E, in the bass.

  • Am11/G

    Am11 with its ♭7th, G, in the bass.

Questions

Am11, in short

What notes are in the Am11 chord?
Am11 (A minor 11th) has six notes: A, C, E, G, B and D, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 11.
How do you play Am11 on guitar?
Am11 has an , and one : the E shape at 5.
What key is Am11 in?
Am11 belongs to four keys: C major (vi11), G major (ii11), A minor (i11) and E minor (iv11).
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