A♭ eleventh (A♭11) chord on banjo

Eleventh chord (a dominant ninth plus a perfect eleventh) on A♭: the notes of the A♭11 chord are A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ eleventh (G♯11).

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Basic shapemedium

Position 4easy

Position 6medium

Position 9medium

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Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the A♭11 chord sounds like

An eleventh chord has six notes in theory. In practice the third is left out (it clashes with the eleventh), so it sounds like a 9sus4 – a modern, open dominant.

Notes of the A♭11 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
3	C	major third (4 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	G♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	B♭	major second (2 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
11	D♭	perfect fourth (5 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 1

String 1 (D): fret 4, little finger (G♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, middle finger (D♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 1, index finger (E♭3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 4, barre at fret 4

String 1 (D): fret 4, index finger (G♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, index finger (E♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, little finger (D♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, ring finger (A♭3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 4; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 6

String 1 (D): fret 6, ring finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, little finger (G♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, middle finger (D♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, index finger (A♭3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A♭11 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

D♭ major: V11 (dominant)
B♭ minor: VII11

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭11 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

D7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Cdim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
A♭7 – a simpler dominant
A♭7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
C♯ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

A♭9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
A♭7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A♭7sus4 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A♭add9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭11 chord?

A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭. The root is A♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major second, perfect fourth.

What is the easiest way to play A♭11 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Position 4”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some A♭11 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 6-note chord. In an eleventh chord the third (C) is normally left out because it clashes with the eleventh. The fifth (E♭) and ninth (B♭) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without them.

How is the A♭11 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭11 (also written Ab11), and its full name is A♭ eleventh.