A♭add11
Character: folky
- A♭Rtriad
- C3triad
- E♭5triad
- D♭11add
5 ways to play A♭add11
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 11 10 8 9 9Notes C E♭ A♭ D♭Intervals 3 5 1 11Base triadA♭ major, 1st inversion
The 11th gets a string of its own.
Frets 4 3 1 1 2 4Notes C E♭ A♭ D♭Intervals 3 5 1 11Base triadA♭ major, 1st inversion
The 11th gets a string of its own.
Frets 4 6 6 5 2 4Notes C D♭ A♭Intervals 3 11 1Base triadA♭ major, 1st inversion
The 11th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 8 6 6 6 9 8Notes C E♭ A♭ D♭Intervals 3 5 1 11Base triadA♭ major, 1st inversion
The 11th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x x 6 9 8Notes D♭ A♭ CIntervals 11 1 3Base triadA♭ major, 2nd inversion
The 11th takes the 5th’s string.
The construction rules A♭add11 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
No 7th, no stack
6, add9, add11 and 6/9 are a triad with a colour note, not a stack. Without a 7th the chord sounds open rather than jazzy.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Add 11 in every key
More chords on A♭
A♭add11 chord questions
What notes are in A♭add11?
A♭add11 is spelled A♭ C E♭ D♭: A♭ is the root, C is the 3rd, E♭ is the 5th, D♭ is the 11th.
What is the formula of A♭add11?
1 3 5 11. It is a A♭ major triad with the 11th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play A♭add11 on guitar?
This page shows 5 voicings of A♭add11, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.