How to Create and Play Eleventh Chords (Major, Min, Dom)

[PatrickDavid]

Hey guys,

 

Another chord video, giving you a bit of theory then showing you how to play the chords,

This week we're looking at eleventh chords,

 

Now I really focused on discussing how there are more options for these chords,

So hopefully from now the video's contain all you need to know as well as my message

 

[video=youtube;DLYXvr1ZerQ]

 

All the best,

 

Pat

[windmill]

Thanks Pat

 

Could use a little editing but I think you knew that.

[c+t in b]

while you are correct in notating the interval of elevenths and how to stack thirds, you should note that Major/Major 7th/Dom7th with natural elevenths, are fairly uncommon as they are not really an ideal tension. The Half step above the third creates an unpleasant dissonance as well as a tritone with the 7th in a major 7th chord, making it sound like a dominant 7th.

 

typically, when creating usable tensions, they should be a a major ninth above the chord tone and lie within the key, except for dominants and modal interchange chords.

 

so for a major 7th/dominant 7th, typical tensions are usually #11's

[windmill]

Could you show a couple of chord progressions which use 11 chords ?

[JonR]

Could you show a couple of chord progressions which use 11 chords ?

Damn, that's a good question! I would have to make some up (a very unsatisfactory answer IMO)...

 

Firstly, c+t in b is quite right about the practical limitations of 11ths.

Secondly, they're not much used as functional elements of progressions.(Ie as notes which are important in the way the chords move.)

 

Here are the possible ways you might put an 11th on top of a C-root chord:

 

Cmaj7#11 (or Cmaj9#11 or Cmaj13#11) - adds F# (raised 11th) to Cmaj7-type chord

Cm11 - adds F natural (perfect 11th) to Cm7 or Cm9 chord

C7#11 (or C9#11 or C13#11) - adds F# to C dom7-type chord

C7sus4 (or C9sus4 or C13sus4) - adds F natural to C7 (or 9 or 13) chord, the 3rd (E) having been removed. NB: This chord is sometimes shown as "C11" in shorthand - the assumption being that the 3rd (E) is ALWAYS omitted, so there is no need for the longer "sus" name.

 

In all cases, the 11th is not really a "functional" extension. It's a decoration or embellishment of the main chord, ie, not strictly necessary in a progression - and would probably only be added to reflect a melody which contained that note.

 

Those chord types are most likely to be used as follows:

 

Cmaj7#11 = IV chord in key of G major, or C lydian I chord.

 

Cm11 = mostly likely a C dorian modal chord (commonly voiced C-F-Bb-Eb-G)

 

C7#11 = bII chord in B minor (sometimes in B major), or bVII chord in D major. Likely to resolve to the tonic in either case. Takes "lydian dominant" scale. As a bII chord in B minor, acts as tritone sub for F#7(alt).

Can sometimes act as a IV chord in G major (ie flattening the 7th of the normal IV - see below).

 

C7sus4 = V chord in F major, or C mixolydian modal chord.

 

One of my favourite uses of a lydian dominant chord is in Moon River:

 

Gmaj7   Em7      C9#11     Gmaj7

-------|5--3----|2---0----|--------------------------

-3-----|3-------|3-----3-1|3---------------------------

-4-----|4-------|3--------|4-------------------------

-4-----|--------|---------|4----------------------

-------|--------|3--------|-----------------------

-3-----|0-------|---------|3------------------------

The #11 is there because it's the main melody note. (It's the b7 that is chromatic to the key. The melody could be harmonized with a diatonic Cmaj7#11, but that's not as interesting!)

 

Another well-known use of C lydian dominant is the theme to The Simpsons. Not exactly a "progression" though, as the entire 4-bar phrase is on one C7#11 chord, resolving to a B at the end. (Ie, it's acting as bII in key of B major).

 

Two m11 chords can be heard as the chord riff in Miles Davis's "So What" (Em11 and Dm11, in D dorian mode):

 

-7----5------------

-8----6------------

-7----5------------

-7----5------------

-7----5------------

-------------------

 

The opening chord to "A Hard Day's Night" is also a kind of Dm11 chord, being Fadd9 or G9sus4 with a D bass. (notes D F G A C altogether). In that case, it's arguably a kind of V chord of G mixolydian (resolving into the G mixolydian verse of the song) - but that's quite an unusual usage. (If it wasn't for the D bass, it could be a G mixolydian "tonic" chord.)

 

A simple way of using a 7sus or 9sus4 as a V chord is to resolve to a tonic maj7. Can't think of any examples from well-known tunes, but something like this:

 

Dm7 G7sus4 Cmaj7

-5----3-----3-----------------

-6----6-----5-----------------

-5----5->>--4-----------------

-7----3-----5-----------------

-5----5-----3-----------------

------3---------------------

That C>>B voice move is a reversal of the classical process of the leading tone (B) going up to C. That makes it cool .

[gennation]

When I write I seem to always end up with a m11 chord in the turnaround for some reason...

 

(6/8 time) ||: Em | Em | Cmaj7#11 | Cmaj7#11 | Bm11 | Bm11 | Am11 | Cm11 :||

 

and this...

 

(3/4 time) ||: Ebm7 | Ebm7 | Ebm7 | Ebm7 | Emaj7 | Emaj7 | Emaj7 | Emaj7 :|| Bbm11 | A7b5 | Gbmaj7 | Bmaj7 | Bb7 :||

 

I have plenty that have dom11 chords, and sus11(4) chords. But the names get a little blurred at that point as some of them could be considered "/" chords, or plain Quartal Chords.