Chord Shapes

Major Added Eleventh

Intervals: 1-3-5-11. A major triad with an added 11th (4th) an octave above, typically voiced so that the 11 lies high in the texture. Unlike a full maj11 chord it does not necessarily imply a 7th, and in many uses it behaves more like a mixture of a sus4 and a major chord. In ambient, cinematic and singer–songwriter contexts, major add11 chords create a floating, “suspended but still major” sound over a steady root. Careful voicing can minimise the 3–11 clash; often the 3rd is kept in a lower register and the 11 kept above the 5th.