C Major 7#11

What’s up guys! Bryan here - today I want to talk about a particular chord, maybe some people would call this a “jazz chord” because it has an extension added to it. 

As you may have guessed from the title, the chord we’re focusing on today is the C Major 7#11 (Cmaj7#11).

It contains an augmented (raised/sharpened by a half step) 11th. To most ears this note will sound quite surprising or even jarring, the reason for that will be explored today.

Let's build the chord!

[1  7  3  #11]  =  [C  B  E  F#]

We start with our root note C, on fret 8.

We mute the fifth string then play the 7th and 3rd on fret 9 on the forth and third string respectively.

Next flatten the 5th by a half step to bring the G down to an F#, this is our augmented 11th.

The particular sound of this chord stems from the relationship of the interval between the 3rd and #11, when played together you can hear there is considerable dissonance. This is the equivalent of a Major 2nd interval which means the notes are fairly close together - but within the context of the chord it can give a unique sound with interesting qualities.

Okay, let’s try a different inversion!

[1  3  7  9 #11]  = [C  E  B  D  F#]

This is probably the most common position to play this chord. Technically it’s no longer a Major 7 because we have added the 9 to it, but as you see they share very similar properties.

Even though we have the same notes at the previous shape (with the addition of a 9th) the numbers have changed order therefore giving it a slightly different flavor as the relationship between the intervals is different. You can see we have a B Minor triad on the top three strings [ B  D  F#], we also no longer have that Major 2nd interval found in the first shape, which makes this inversion sound perhaps a little more comfortable and well-rounded.

Being aware of how inversions, and the different relationships between intervals, can make a huge difference to how you choose to voice chords, and approach harmony when building progressions. 

Make sure you spend time exploring these chords - not just gaining a physical memory of the shapes, but also a theoretical understanding. Use this same approach whenever learning something new and you’ll have a far deeper understanding of what you’re doing when playing and composing. 

Hopefully you found today's lesson helpful, check back soon for more guitar-based theory lessons!

Thanks!