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Guitar chords · Minor 11th

E♭m11 chord on guitar (Ebm11)

E♭m11 (E♭ minor 11th) has six notes: E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭, F and A♭, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 11.

Shapes

How to play E♭m11

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

E♭m11 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 6

    6fr×R11♭7♭35E♭A♭D♭G♭B♭
  • E shape · fret 11

    9fr××R♭7♭311E♭D♭G♭A♭
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes E♭m11 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 E♭m11 a minor 11th chord; you can leave out the 5th and the 9th.

  1. E♭Rroot
  2. G♭♭3essential
  3. B♭5optional
  4. D♭♭7essential
  5. F9optional
  6. A♭11essential
EADGBE0135791215E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭D♭FG♭B♭D♭FG♭A♭B♭FG♭A♭B♭D♭FA♭B♭D♭FG♭A♭B♭D♭FG♭A♭B♭D♭FG♭A♭B♭D♭FG♭
  • E♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

E♭m11 often leads to A♭7 and then D♭: the ii11–V7–I of D♭ major.

E♭m11 and D♯m11 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with E♭m11

E♭m11 belongs to four keys: G♭ major (vi11), D♭ major (ii11), E♭ minor (i11) and B♭ 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

E♭m11 over another bass note

A keeps E♭m11 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • E♭m11/G♭

    E♭m11 with its ♭3rd, G♭, in the bass.

  • E♭m11/B♭

    E♭m11 with its 5th, B♭, in the bass.

  • E♭m11/D♭

    E♭m11 with its ♭7th, D♭, in the bass.

Questions

E♭m11, in short

What notes are in the E♭m11 chord?
E♭m11 (E♭ minor 11th) has six notes: E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭, F and A♭, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 11.
How do you play E♭m11 on guitar?
E♭m11 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11.
What key is E♭m11 in?
E♭m11 belongs to four keys: G♭ major (vi11), D♭ major (ii11), E♭ minor (i11) and B♭ minor (iv11).
Is E♭m11 the same as D♯m11?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. E♭m11 is the spelling in G♭ major, D♭ major, E♭ minor and B♭ minor; D♯m11 in F♯ major, C♯ major, D♯ minor and A♯ minor.
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