The Minor 11th Chord: A Comprehensive Guide

The Minor 11th chord is a rich and complex extended chord that adds depth and color to musical compositions. This guide will explore its construction, historical context, and practical applications across various genres.

Definition and Explanation

A Minor 11th chord is built by stacking intervals on top of a minor triad. The formula is:

• Root
• Minor 3rd
• Perfect 5th
• Minor 7th
• Major 9th
• Perfect 11th

In chord symbols, it's typically written as m11 or -11 (e.g., Cm11 or C-11).

Historical Context

The Minor 11th chord emerged prominently in:

• 20th century jazz harmony
• Impressionist classical music
• Modern pop and R&B arrangements

Technical Construction

Interval Structure

The complete interval structure from the root:

• Root: 1
• Minor 3rd: b3
• Perfect 5th: 5
• Minor 7th: b7
• Major 9th: 9
• Perfect 11th: 11

Common Voicings

Effective voicings often omit certain notes to avoid muddiness:

• Piano: Root-5th-7th-9th-11th (omitting 3rd)
• Guitar: 7th-9th-11th-root (drop 3 voicing)

Practical Applications

Jazz Usage

Common in:

• II-V-I progressions (e.g., Dm11-G7-Cmaj7)
• Modal jazz compositions
• Chord substitutions

Pop and R&B

Used for:

• Creating lush harmonic backgrounds
• Adding tension in verse-chorus transitions
• Modern neo-soul progressions

Progressive Exercises

Level 1: Construction

Build m11 chords on all 12 roots using the formula.

Level 2: Voicings

Practice common piano and guitar voicings in all keys.

Level 3: Progressions

Create ii-V-I progressions using m11 for the ii chord.

Common Usage in Genres

Classical

Debussy and Ravel used similar sonorities in impressionist works.

Jazz

Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock employed m11 chords extensively.

Rock/Pop

Steely Dan and modern R&B artists use m11 for sophisticated harmonies.

Musical Examples

Sample progression in C:

Dm11 (ii) - G7 (V) - Cmaj7 (I)

Chord symbols with extensions:

Dm11: D-F-A-C-E-G

G7: G-B-D-F

Cmaj7: C-E-G-B