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How to Read Guitar Chord Diagrams
Learn how to read guitar chord diagrams quickly. Understand dots, numbers, Xs, Os, and finger positions so you can play any chord chart at sight.
Emin11/A guitar shapes
Popular fretboard positions with fingering suggestions
Showing 8 of 8 playable shapes
About the chord
E minor 11 / A (5th inversion)
The E minor 11 minor 11 chord expands the minor 7th with an eleventh A, producing a soulful, introspective sound. The added 11th A introduces a floating, ethereal quality, perfect for jazz, neo-soul, and ambient music. With A in the bass, this voicing functions as the 5th inversion of E minor 11.
Root note: E
Bass note: A
Chord tones: 6
Playable shapes: 8
Chord tones
EGBDF♯A
Notes & Intervals
Each note below shows how the chord is built from its root. This is the theory layer underneath the fretboard shapes.
E Unison (Root) 1
The root anchors the chord and defines its tonal center.
G Minor Third ♭3
This note supplies the minor color and gives the chord its darker emotional pull.
B Perfect Fifth 5
The fifth reinforces stability and gives the chord its strong harmonic frame.
D Minor Seventh ♭7
The minor seventh adds bluesy or jazzy tension that wants to move onward.
F♯ Major Ninth 9
The ninth opens the chord up and adds a modern, spacious color.
A Perfect Eleventh 11
The eleventh gives the chord a wider, suspended feel.
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