A♭m(add11) — A♭, C♭, E♭, D♭ — is a minor add11 chord: minor triad + 11th (no 7th, no 9th) — a relatively rare extended minor chord with a distinctive open colour.
Intervals
The Ab minor add 11 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:
- Ab→Cbminor 3rd3 semitones
- Cb→Ebmajor 3rd4 semitones
- Eb→Dbminor 7th10 semitones
On the keyboard
Each note of the Ab minor add 11 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.
On the guitar
One voicing of the Ab minor add 11 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.
- 1Ab
- ♭3Cb
- 5Eb
- 11Db
Common mistakes
The defining note is the 11th (D♭). It sits more than an octave above the root, which is why the chord needs a wide voicing — in tight piano voicings the 11th usually appears in the top register while the root and lower triad tones cluster below.
In context
Functions as an open-sounding minor tonic in folk, indie, and modal music.
Drill it
The Ab minor add 11 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.
Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzleRelated
Frequently asked
- What notes are in a A♭m(add11) chord?
- A♭m(add11) contains four notes: A♭, C♭, E♭, D♭.
- How is A♭m(add11) different from A♭m7?
- A♭m(add11) adds the 11th (D♭) on top of the underlying 7th chord. The 11th extends the chord into the next octave and adds harmonic colour.
- When is A♭m(add11) used in music?
- Functions as an open-sounding minor tonic in folk, indie, and modal music.