A# Major 11th Guitar Chord — Open A
Guitar chord voicings in Open A tuning (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
A# Major 11th — Open A
No standard voicings found for A# Major 11th in Open A tuning. Try using the interactive chord finder with this tuning selected.
A# Major 11th in Open A Tuning — Guide
The A# Major 11th chord in Open A tuning (E-C#-A-E-A-E) requires different fingerings than standard tuning. This chord may require creative voicings or partial shapes in this tuning.
About Open A Tuning
Open A tuning (E-A-E-A-C#-E) produces an A major chord when strummed open. It is structurally identical to Open G tuned up one whole step, delivering a brighter, more tense sound that works particularly well for slide guitar centered on the key of A.
Jimmy Page used Open A with a slide on Led Zeppelin's 'In My Time of Dying' from Physical Graffiti (1975). Rory Gallagher also employed Open A for his raw, energetic slide work. Many players achieve Open A by simply placing a capo at the 2nd fret in Open G tuning, which is why dedicated Open A usage is less commonly discussed. However, without a capo, Open A gives direct access to the open A string resonance and a different feel under the fingers due to the higher tension.
Genres & Artists Using Open A
Genres: Blues, Slide Guitar, Rock, Delta Blues
Notable artists: Jimmy Page, Rory Gallagher, Delta blues players
Scales for Improvising Over A# Major 11th in Open A
When playing A# Major 11th in Open A tuning, these scales work well for improvisation and melody writing:
- A# Major scale
- A# Minor Pentatonic scale — the go-to scale for rock and blues soloing