How to play A♯min/maj11/B♯ chord on guitar
Shape 8888a9
Shape characteristics
Barre chord
Your first finger flattens across multiple strings at the same fret. Movable up and down the neck to any key without changing the shape.
Upper register · fret 8-10
Brighter, more focused tone with less low-end. Works well when layering over a bassist or second guitar, and integrates naturally with lead-line phrasing higher on the neck.
Full six-string voicing
All six strings ring, giving you the biggest, most resonant version of this chord, ideal for strumming and solo acoustic contexts.
Bass: B♯ · Top: C♯
An extended chord tone is in the bass, giving the voicing a distinctive colour beyond the standard inversions.
Compared to Shape 80babb , this voicing uses a partial barre.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 8th fret of the 3rd string, 4th string, 5th string, and 6th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 9th fret of the 1st string
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 10th fret of the 2nd string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "8888a9" mean?
The sequence 8888a9 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this A♯min/maj11/B♯ shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a A♯min/maj11/B♯ chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for A♯min/maj11/B♯. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Other shapes
Showing 4 of 4 playable shapes