E Minor Eleventh Chord (Em11)

1Composition: what it contains

E – G – B – D – F♯ – A

Symbol

Em11

Also written

Em11, Emin11, E-11, Emi11

Formula

1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 11

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

On the guitar

On the ukulele

On the piano

On the staff

On bass and as an arpeggio

3Indications: what it is used for

Used in modal jazz, fusion, neo-soul, funk, R&B and ambient, especially on Dorian or Aeolian minor vamps, and as ii11 in a ii–V–I. Because the eleventh does not clash with the minor third, all six chord tones can be used. It is often voiced in fourths (quartal voicings), which gives a modern, open colour typical of modal jazz piano. Dorian is the ideal scale over it. Guitarists often voice it with open strings for a ringing ambient pad.

4Dosage: how to practise it

On piano, practise quartal voicings (stacked fourths) in the right hand over the root in the left, and rootless voicings ♭3-♭7-9-11. On guitar, learn the shape rooted on the fifth string and the shape rooted on the sixth string with the fifth string muted, plus four-string quartal shapes. Practise a modal vamp of two minor eleventh chords a whole step apart at 80–110 BPM. Five to ten minutes daily. Improvise with Dorian over the chord.

5Warnings and common mistakes

Do not confuse m11 with the dominant 11 chord, where the major third clashes with the eleventh. With all six notes voiced close together the chord sounds muddy; omit the fifth or the root. The eleventh is a perfect fourth an octave up, not an augmented fourth. Some charts write 'm7(11)'; it is the same chord, but sometimes without the ninth.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Inversions

• Inversion 1 · Em11/G · G – B – D – F♯ – A – E Play
• Inversion 2 · Em11/B · B – D – F♯ – A – E – G Play
• Inversion 3 · Em11/D · D – F♯ – A – E – G – B Play
• Inversion 4 · Em11/F♯ · F♯ – A – E – G – B – D Play
• Inversion 5 · Em11/A · A – E – G – B – D – F♯ Play

Scales to play over Em11

• E Natural Minor Scale
• E Dorian Mode

7Other presentations available

The same chord from every note

Cm11 C♯m11 Dm11 E♭m11 Fm11 F♯m11 Gm11 A♭m11 Am11 B♭m11 Bm11

Other chords on E

E Em Edim Eaug Esus2 Esus4 E5 E6 Em6 E7 Emaj7 Em7 Em7♭5 Edim7 Em(maj7) E7sus4 Eadd9 Em(add9) E6/9 E9 Emaj9 Em9 E11 E13 E7♭9 E7♯9 E7♯5 E7♭5