How do you play the Ab maj13(#11)/Gb chord?

To play the Ab maj13(#11)/Gb chord on piano, play the Ab maj13(#11) chord (Ab, C, Eb, G, Bb, D and F) with Gb as the lowest bass note. Place the Gb 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 maj13(#11)/Gb chord means a Ab maj13(#11) chord with Gb in the bass.

Ab maj13(#11)/Gb

Q: What notes are in the Ab maj13(#11)/Gb chord?

The Ab maj13(#11)/Gb chord uses the 7 notes of the Ab maj13(#11) chord — Ab (Perfect unison), C (Major third), Eb (Perfect fifth), G (Major seventh), Bb (Major ninth), D (Augmented eleventh) and F (Major thirteenth) — with Gb played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The Ab maj13(#11) chord consists of the Ab (Perfect unison), C (Major third), Eb (Perfect fifth), G (Major seventh), Bb (Major ninth), D (Augmented eleventh) and F (Major thirteenth) notes, with Gb as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a Ab maj13(#11)/Gb chord

How to play the Ab maj13(#11)/Gb chord

Play Gb 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 G (Major seventh) — 11 semitones above Ab
Add Bb (Major ninth) — 14 semitones above Ab
Add D (Augmented eleventh) — 18 semitones above Ab
Add F (Major thirteenth) — 21 semitones above Ab
Press all 8 notes simultaneously to sound the Ab maj13(#11)/Gb chord