In music theory, an eleventh chord is a chord that contains the

tertian In music theory, ''tertian'' ( la, tertianus, "of or concerning thirds") describes any piece, chord, counterpoint etc. constructed from the intervals of (major and minor) thirds. An interval such as that between the notes A and C encompasses ...

extension of the

eleventh In music or music theory, an eleventh is the note eleven scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the eleventh. The interval can be also described as a compound fourth, spanning an octave plus a ...

. Typically found in

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, an eleventh chord also usually includes the

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and ninth, and elements of the basic triad structure. Variants include the dominant eleventh (C¹¹, C–E–G–B–D–F), minor eleventh (Cm¹¹, C–E–G–B–D–F), and major eleventh chord (Cmaj¹¹, C–E–G–B–D–F).Smith, Johnny (1980). ''Mel Bay's Complete Johnny Smith Approach to Guitar'', p.231. . Using an augmented eleventh produces the dominant sharp eleventh (C⁹¹¹, C–E–G–B–D–F) and major sharp eleventh (Cmaj⁹¹¹, C–E–G–B–D–F) chords. A perfect eleventh creates a highly dissonant

minor ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

interval with the

major third In classical music, a third is a Interval (music), musical interval encompassing three staff positions (see Interval (music)#Number, Interval number for more details), and the major third () is a third spanning four semitones.Allen Forte, ...

of major and dominant chords. To reduce dissonance, the third is often omitted (for instance 52 seconds into "

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" on The Beatles' ''

Abbey Road ''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It is the last album the group started recording, although '' Let It Be'' was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly ...

'' in a dominant eleventh chord), turning the chord into a suspended ninth chord (e.g. C^9sus4, C–G–B–D–F), which can be also notated as Gm⁷/C. Another solution to this dissonance is altering the third or eleventh factor of the chord to turn the problematic minor ninth interval within the chord into a major ninth.Miller, Michael (2004). ''Complete Idiot's Guide to Solos and Improvisation'', p.52. . A dominant eleventh chord can be altered by lowering the third by a semitone for a minor eleventh chord, or by raising the eleventh by a semitone for a dominant sharp eleventh chord, implying the lydian dominant mode. As its upper extensions (7th, 9th, 11th) constitute a triad, a dominant eleventh chord with the third and fifth omitted can be notated as a compound chord with a bass note. So C–B–D–F is written as B/C, emphasizing the ambiguous dominant/subdominant character of this voicing. In the

common practice period In European art music, the common-practice period is the era of the tonal system. Most of its features persisted from the mid-Baroque period through the Classical and Romantic periods, roughly from 1650 to 1900. There was much stylistic evoluti ...

, the root, 7th, 9th, and 11th are the most common factors present in the V¹¹ chord, with the 3rd and 5th typically omitted. The eleventh is usually retained as a common tone when the chord resolves to I or i.Benward & Saker (2009). Music in Theory and Practice: Volume II, p.183-84. Eighth Edition. .

Relation to suspended fourth chord

The fourth degree is octave equivalent to the eleventh. The dominant eleventh chord could be alternatively notated as the very unorthodox ninth added fourth chord (C^9add4), from where omitting the 3rd produces the more common ninth suspended fourth chord (C^9sus4, also known as the jazz sus chord).

References

{{Chords Chord factors

Relation to suspended fourth chord

See also

References