Minor Eleventh Chord

The Minor Eleventh Chord extends the Minor Ninth Chord by adding a perfect eleventh. The theoretical notes are: root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major ninth, and perfect eleventh. Its sound is complex, a bit 'hazy' and 'suspended', but retains a minor character. Unlike the major eleventh, the perfect eleventh does not create excessive dissonance with the minor third (they are a whole tone apart). However, the fifth is often omitted in voicings for clarity and to give more prominence to the extensions. It is a chord widely used in jazz, soul, and fusion to create rich and 'ambient' voicings, suggesting a sense of depth and mystery. It is particularly effective as ii11 in a ii-V-i progression.

Common Progressions

• ii11 - V7 - Imaj7 (a very rich jazz progression, where the ii11 adds a significant level of complexity and color to the second degree)
• i11 - iv7 (the eleventh adds depth and a touch of 'floating' melancholy to the minor tonic chord)
• Substitute for Minor7 or Minor9 in advanced contexts, where a denser and layered sound is sought.