A♭ eleventh (A♭11) chord on piano

The A♭ eleventh chord (A♭11) is an eleventh chord (a dominant ninth plus a perfect eleventh), made of six notes: A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ eleventh (G♯11).

Full chord: A♭3 – C4 – E♭4 – G♭4 – B♭4 – D♭5

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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)
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	G♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	B♭	major second (2 semitones)
11	D♭	perfect fourth (5 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

A♭3 – C4 – E♭4 – G♭4 – B♭4 – D♭5

Two-hand voicing

A♭2 – G♭4 – B♭4 – D♭5 – E♭5

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.

How do I play the A♭11 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 6 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

How is the A♭11 chord written?

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