Chord · Ab Dominant 11th
A♭11 Chord
A♭11 is Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb and Db — dense; usually voiced rootless.
A♭11 on every instrument
The same 6 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What A♭11 is made of
Ab Dominant 11th (Ab dominant 11th) is built from the notes Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb, Db, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11. A common dominant 11th chord across many styles.
Stack 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 11 on a root of A♭ and you get Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb and Db. That interval recipe is what makes the chord an eleventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C11 sounds like a transposed A♭11.
Dominant 11th: Dense; usually voiced rootless.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with A♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain A♭11
All 6 notes sit inside the scale of 4 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on A♭
Same root, different colour.
The same eleventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Ab11
- What notes are in the Ab11 chord?
- Ab11 is made of Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb and Db — the 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 11 degrees of an eleventh chord built on Ab.
- What keys use the Ab11 chord?
- Every note of Ab11 belongs to 4 keys: Db Major (V), C# Major (V), Bb Minor (VII), A# Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Ab11 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Ab11 on guitar and piano — 4 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
- Is Ab11 the same as G#11?
- Yes. Ab11 and G#11 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Ab11 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.
Learn the theory behind it
Why A♭11 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.