How to play Cmaj9#11: a major 9th sharp 11 built on C, with 4 ways to play it, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.
The first diagram is a common voicing: played at the first few frets. An X above a string means don't play it; an O means play it open.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 3 2 4 3 2 (x = not played).
| Note | C | E | B | D | F# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | 7 | 9 | #11 |
Cmaj9#11 is a major 9th sharp 11 with C as its root. The full theoretical spelling is C, E, G, B, D, F#. This voicing omits the 5th, the tone guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings.
Cmaj9#11 is a diatonic chord (built from the key's own notes) in 1 major key and 1 minor key. The roman numeral is the chord's place in that key; tap a key for all of its chords.
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Cmaj9#11 is spelled C, E, G, B, D, F#: the root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, sharp 11th. The common guitar voicing sounds C, E, B, D, F#, leaving out the 5th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 3 2 4 3 2 (x means the string is not played). Lay your index finger across the 2nd fret from the D string to the high E string (a barre). Add the A and B strings at the 3rd fret. Add the G string at the 4th fret. Strum from the A string down; the low E string stays silent.
Cmaj9#11 belongs to 2 keys: G major (the IV chord) and E minor (the VI).
