C# Minor 11th (C#m11)
Also written as Db Minor 11th (Db and C# are the same key).
Notes in C# Minor 11th
Inversions
Same notes as C# Minor 11th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.
Root position
C# in the bass
1st inversion
E in the bass (C#m11/E)
2nd inversion
G# in the bass (C#m11/G#)
3rd inversion
B in the bass (C#m11/B)
4th inversion
D# in the bass (C#m11/D#)
5th inversion
F# in the bass (C#m11/F#)
Open voicings
A close-position chord like C# Minor 11th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.
Drop 2
C# on the bottom
Drop 3
B on the bottom
C# Minor 11th consists of C#, E, G#, B, D# and F#, played at the same time.
A minor ninth chord extended with an eleventh blends far more naturally than its dominant cousin, since the eleventh doesn't clash with a minor third the way it does against a major one. The result is smooth and spacious, a regular fixture in jazz, neo-soul and ambient writing.