How to play Amin/maj11/B chord on guitar
Shape 70a99a
Shape characteristics
Partial barre
One finger presses two strings at the same fret. A lighter, less tiring grip than a full barre while still being fully movable.
Mid-neck · fret 7-10
Balanced tone, with neither the ringing openness of first position nor the bright snap of the upper register. Common choice for rhythm work when you want a fuller, more compact sound.
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: D
An extended chord tone is in the bass, giving the voicing a distinctive colour beyond the standard inversions.
Compared to Shape 777798 , this voicing uses a barre chord.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 7th fret of the 6th string
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 9th fret of the 2nd string and 3rd string in barre position
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 10th fret of the 4th string
- 4 Place the 4th finger on the 10th fret of the 1st string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "70a99a" mean?
The sequence 70a99a 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 Amin/maj11/B shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a Amin/maj11/B chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for Amin/maj11/B. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
How do I stop my fingers from buzzing?
Since this shape uses open strings (marked with '0'), make sure your fingers are arched like a "claw" so they don't accidentally brush against the open strings. Press down firmly just behind the metal fret wires for the clearest sound.
Other shapes
Showing 6 of 6 playable shapes