Abm11

Abm11 is Ab, Cb, Eb, Gb, Bb and Db, a minor eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written 424322, lowest string first.

Also written Abmin11, Ab-11 or Ab minor 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Abm11 on the guitar, and 51 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Abm11 belongs to Eb minor (the iv), F# major (the ii), Ab minor (the i) and B major (the vi).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 424322, 4x442x, 444446, xx6677, x-11-9-11-9-9, x-11-9-11-11-9, x-11-11-11-12-11.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Abm11 has 4x442x, 4246xx, x-11-x-11-12-9, 4996xx, xx6479, x-11-9-11-14-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Abm11 has xx4424, 4444xx, xx6677, 9-11-9-11-x-x, x-x-9-11-9-9, x-11-11-11-12-x, x2412x, x4647x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Abm11 has x2x122, 4x442x, x4x474, 7x667x, x9x697, 9-x-9-11-9-x, x-11-x-11-12-9, 14-x-11-13-12-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Abm11 has x2432x, x4444x, xx8677, xx9879, x-x-9-11-11-9, x-13-11-11-12-x, x-x-11-11-12-11, xx1422.

Tensions. A shell of Abm11, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 13 (F).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.