Ab7#11 Guitar Chord

How to play Ab7#11: a dominant 7th sharp 11 built on Ab, with 1 voicing, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.

Chord Diagram

XX
A common voicing

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.

How to play Ab7#11

Frets from the low E string to the high E string: 4 3 4 x 3 x (x = not played).

  1. Fret the A and B strings at the 3rd fret.
  2. Add the low E and D strings at the 4th fret.
  3. Strum from the low E string down, skipping the G and high E strings.
Ab7#11 and G#7#11 are the same pitches spelled two ways, so the fingerings are identical. See G#7#11 for the other spelling.

Notes & Intervals in Ab7#11

NoteAbCGbD
IntervalR3b7#11

Ab7#11 is a dominant 7th sharp 11 with Ab as its root. The full theoretical spelling is Ab, C, Eb, Gb, D. This voicing omits the 5th, the tone guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings.

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Keys That Use Ab7#11

Ab7#11 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.

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Questions About Ab7#11

What notes are in the Ab7#11 chord?

Ab7#11 is spelled Ab, C, Eb, Gb, D: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, sharp 11th. The common guitar voicing sounds Ab, C, Gb, D, leaving out the 5th.

How do you play Ab7#11 on guitar?

Frets from the low E string to the high E string: 4 3 4 x 3 x (x means the string is not played). Fret the A and B strings at the 3rd fret. Add the low E and D strings at the 4th fret. Strum from the low E string down, skipping the G and high E strings.

What key is the Ab7#11 chord in?

Ab7#11 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.

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