How to Play an A Dominant 13 11th Chord on Guitar

The A dominant 13 sharp 11th chord is an example of extended harmony common in jazz playing. If you would like to expand your chord vocabulary to include some more complex harmonies, this chord will be a great addition to your arsenal. Playing extended harmonies on the guitar can be quite difficult at first due to the strange hand contortions that are required to play some of these chords. In this article you will learn how to construct and play an A dominant 13 sharp 11th chord of your own on the guitar.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar

1. Place your forefinger on the tenth fret of the fifth string (A string.) This is the seventh degree of the A-major scale.

2. Barre the eleventh frets of the third and fourth strings with your middle finger. This is a very difficult task. It will take a lot of practice to gain the finger strength necessary to perform this barre. Normally, barre chords are played with the forefinger. Make sure you can do Steps 1 and 2 flawlessly before moving on to Step 3.

3. Hold down the twelfth fret of the second string (B string) with your pinky. This is the note B, the ninth degree of the A-major scale.

4. Place your ring finger on the eleventh fret of the first string (high E string). This is the sharp eleventh degree of the A-major scale.

5. Strum the chord. Strum all of the notes of the chord in one sweeping motion. That's it. You now know how to play an A dominant 13 sharp eleventh chord on the guitar!

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient. This is a very difficult chord to play, especially when used in the context of a real chord progression. Practice it slowly. Concentrate on the barre in Step 2. Isolate this barre section of the chord. Once you have mastered it, you will have the dexterity necessary to add the remaining notes of the chord.