How to play Aโฏ11/C๐ช chord on guitar
Shape a88898
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 ยท 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: D ยท Top: C๐ช
The lowest note isn't a traditional chord tone for this chord, so the voicing has an added colour or slash-chord flavour.
Compared to Shape abaabb , this voicing uses a closed voicing and sits higher on the neck (starting at fret 10).
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 8th fret of the 1st string, 3rd string, 4th string, and 5th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 9th fret of the 2nd string
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 10th fret of the 6th string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "a88898" mean?
The sequence a88898 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 Aโฏ11/C๐ช shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a Aโฏ11/C๐ช chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for Aโฏ11/C๐ช. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Other shapes
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