Abmaj11

Abmaj11 is Ab, C, Eb, G, Bb and Db, a major eleventh. The shape this page opens on is written 43102x, lowest string first.

Also written AbM11, AbΔ11 or Ab major 11. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Abmaj11 on the guitar, and 50 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Abmaj11 belongs to F minor (the ♭III) and Ab major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 43102x, 43xx23, 445544, 445546, xx6688, x-11-10-12-9-9, x-11-11-12-13-11.

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. Abmaj11 has 4x552x, 4356xx, xx6589, x-11-x-12-13-9, x-11-10-12-14-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Abmaj11 has 4455xx, xx6688, x-11-11-12-13-x, x3512x, xx5524, x4658x, x-10-10-6-9-x, 8-10-6-6-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Abmaj11 has x3x123, 4x552x, x4x584, 8x668x, x-10-x-6-9-8, 9-x-10-12-9-x, x-11-x-12-13-9, 15-x-11-13-13-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Abmaj11 has x3102x, x4554x, xx8688, x-x-10-8-8-9, x-13-11-12-13-x, x-x-11-12-13-11, xx1523, xx5526.

Tensions. A shell of Abmaj11, 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.