Chords
Ab Sixth sharp eleventh
Ab · C · Eb · F · D
Ab Sixth sharp eleventh (Abmaj6#11) is a major chord of 5 notes: Ab · C · Eb · F · D.
Also written AbM6#11 · AbM6b5 · Ab6#11 · Ab6b5
Ab Sixth sharp eleventh
Ab · C · Eb · F · D
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Ab3 · C4 · Eb4 · F4 · D5 | |
| Open (drop 2) | F3 · Ab3 · C4 · Eb4 · D5 | |
| Shell | Ab3 · C4 · F4 | |
| Rootless | C3 · F3 · D4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Ab Sixth sharp eleventh (Abmaj6#11) contains the notes Ab · C · Eb · F · D, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of Ab Sixth sharp eleventh puts a chord tone other than Ab in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales Ab Sixth sharp eleventh belongs to.
In which keys
Ab Sixth sharp eleventh is diatonic to 2 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
Ab Sixth sharp eleventh fits inside these scales, each built on Ab.
- Ab LydianAb · Bb · C · D · Eb · F · G
- Ab Lydian DominantAb · Bb · C · D · Eb · F · Gb
- Ab Hungarian MajorAb · B · C · D · Eb · F · Gb
- Ab Lydian #9Ab · B · C · D · Eb · F · G
Understanding the Ab Sixth sharp eleventh chord
Names and symbols
Abmaj6#11 is the chord symbol for Ab Sixth sharp eleventh; it is also written AbM6#11, AbM6b5, Ab6#11, Ab6b5.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Ab Sixth sharp eleventh chord?
- The Ab Sixth sharp eleventh chord contains the notes Ab · C · Eb · F · D: the root Ab with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 6M, 11A stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally Ab, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the Ab Sixth sharp eleventh chord?
- Measured from Ab, the Ab Sixth sharp eleventh chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 6M, 11A. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the Ab Sixth sharp eleventh chord?
- On guitar the most common Ab Sixth sharp eleventh shape is 431131, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Ab3 · C4 · Eb4 · F4 · D5 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.