C Minor 11th (Cm11)

1+b3+5+b7+9+11
CGDFEbBb
4 4
Download MIDI

Notes in C Minor 11th

C (root)EbGBbDF

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

CGDFEbBb

1st inversion

Eb in the bass

GDFCEbBb

2nd inversion

G in the bass

GDFCBbEb

3rd inversion

Bb in the bass

DFCGBbEb

4th inversion

D in the bass

DFCGEbBb

5th inversion

F in the bass

FCGDEbBb

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

CDGFEbBb

Drop 3

Bb on the bottom

CGDFEb

Play C, Eb, G, Bb, D and F together and you get C Minor 11th.

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.

Difficulty: Advanced. Category: Extended chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.