How do you play the Ab add11/Cb chord?

To play the Ab add11/Cb chord on piano, play the Ab add11 chord (Ab, C, Eb and Db) with Cb as the lowest bass note. Place the Cb note below the other chord tones. Slash chords specify a particular bass note different from the chord root.

What is a slash chord?

A slash chord (or compound chord) is written as Chord/Bass and specifies both a chord and a bass note. The note to the right of the slash is played as the lowest note. The Ab add11/Cb chord means a Ab add11 chord with Cb in the bass.

Ab add11/Cb

Q: What notes are in the Ab add11/Cb chord?

The Ab add11/Cb chord uses the 4 notes of the Ab add11 chord — Ab (Perfect unison), C (Major third), Eb (Perfect fifth) and Db (Perfect eleventh) — with Cb played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The Ab add11 chord consists of the Ab (Perfect unison), C (Major third), Eb (Perfect fifth) and Db (Perfect eleventh) notes, with Cb as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a Ab add11/Cb chord

How to play the Ab add11/Cb chord

Play Cb as the lowest bass note in the left hand
Find Ab (Root) on the piano keyboard
Add C (Major third) — 4 semitones above Ab
Add Eb (Perfect fifth) — 7 semitones above Ab
Add Db (Perfect eleventh) — 17 semitones above Ab
Press all 5 notes simultaneously to sound the Ab add11/Cb chord

Related slash chords

Db maj7(sus2)/Cb
Db maj9(sus2)/Cb