Lesson 43 · All 12 keys

Minor 11th Chord Trainer

Learn how a Minor 11th chord is built one semitone-count at a time — a minor 9th chord (Lesson 42) with an 11th stacked on top — then put it to work with three MIDI exercises: playing all 12 minor 11th chords around the circle of fourths, and 5 jazz plus 5 gospel chord progressions that show off its color, in every key.

How a Minor 11th chord is built

A Minor 11th chord — written m11 (e.g. Cm11) — is a 6-note chord: a minor 9th chord (Lesson 42) with an 11th stacked on top. Every m11 chord — in any of the 12 keys — is built the exact same way, by counting semitones to the right from a root note:

  1. The starting note — this note names the chord.
  2. Count 3 semitones up from the root — the minor 3rd.
  3. Count 4 more semitones up from the 3rd (7 semitones from the root) — the perfect 5th.
  4. Count 3 more semitones up from the 5th (10 semitones from the root) — the minor 7th.
  5. Count 4 more semitones up from the 7th (14 semitones from the root) — the 9th.
  6. Count 3 more semitones up from the 9th (17 semitones from the root — an octave plus a perfect 4th) — the 11th.
Example — Cm11: start on C, count 3 semitones right to reach E♭, count 4 semitones more to reach G, count 3 semitones more to reach B♭, count 4 semitones more to reach D, count 3 semitones more to reach F. C‑E♭‑G‑B♭‑D‑F is the Cm11 chord.
Unlike a dominant 11th chord, a minor 11th chord keeps its 3rd — the ♭3rd sits a whole step below the 11th instead of a clashing half step, so there is no need to drop it. This makes the minor 11th chord one of the richest, most open colors in modal jazz and gospel vamps.

Try it: pick a root and build the chord step by step

Step 1 of 6
—
Chord toneNoteSemitones from rootMIDI #

All 12 minor 11th chords at a glance

ChordRootMinor 3rdPerfect 5thMinor 7th9th11th

This MIDI exercise plays all 12 minor 11th chords, one after another, moving around the circle of fourths — each chord's root sits a perfect 4th (5 semitones) above the last one: C → F → B♭ → E♭ → A♭ → D♭ → G♭/F♯ → B → E → A → D → G → back to C. Every chord is played as a full 6-note Minor 11th chord (root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, 9th, 11th together).

Chord 1 of 12
—

The 12 chords, in circle-of-fourths order

#ChordRootMinor 3rdPerfect 5thMinor 7th9th11th

Five jazz chord progressions built around the Minor 11th chord. Pick a progression and play it in one key or cycle through all 12.

Key of C
—

Progression in C

DegreeChordNotes

Five gospel chord progressions built around the Minor 11th chord. Pick a progression and play it in one key or cycle through all 12.

Key of C
—

Progression in C

DegreeChordNotes