Lydian chord - Misplaced Pages

In jazz music, the lydian chord is the major 7♯11 chord, or ♯11 chord, the chord built on the first degree of the Lydian mode, the sharp eleventh being a compound augmented fourth. This chord, built on C, is shown below.

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \time 4/4 <c e g b fis'>1 } }$

This is described as "beautiful" and "modern sounding." The notes that make up the Lydian chord represent five of the seven notes of the Lydian mode, and the ♯11 at the top of the chord is the ♯4 (one octave higher) that distinguishes the Lydian mode from the major scale.

Major 7♯11 may also refer to the Lydian augmented chord, an augmented seventh chord with augmented fourth appearing in the Lydian augmented scale.

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \time 4/4 <c e gis b fis'>1 } }$

In a chord chart, the notation "Lydian" indicates a major family chord with an added augmented eleventh, including maj7♯11, add9♯11, and 6♯11.

Harmonic function

Lydian chords may function as subdominants or substitutes for the tonic in major keys. The compound interval of the augmented eleventh (enharmonically equivalent to ♯4, the characteristic interval of the Lydian mode) is used since the simple fourth usually only appears in suspended chords (which replace the third with a natural fourth, for example C). The fifth can be omitted to avoid creating dissonance with the ♯4; this is usually not specified in chord naming.

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/4 <c' e' b' fis''>1 <c' e' g' b' fis''>1 }$

Cmaj (C–E–(G)–B–F♯), with fifth omitted and included

The dominant 7♯11 or Lydian dominant (C) comprises the notes:

r, 3, (5), ♭7, (9), ♯11, (13)

(Note that in jazz lead sheet notation, upper extensions (intervals beyond the 7th) aren't named unless they are altered; alternatively, when including the 9th and 13th this chord could be called a C.)

Basing this chord on the pitch C results in the pitches:

C, E, (G), B♭, (D), F♯, (A)

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/4 <c e bes fis' a' d' fis''>1 }$

A voicing of C (C–E–(G)–B♭–D–F♯–A), with fifth omitted and the ♯4 doubled

The same chord may also be voiced:

C, E, B♭, F♯, A, D, F♯

This voicing omits the perfect fifth (G) and raises the major ninth (D) by an octave. The augmented eleventh (F♯) is also played twice in two different registers. This is known as "doubling".

References

^ Juergensen, Chris (2006). The Infinite Guitar, p.50. ISBN 1-4116-9007-9.
Munro, Doug (2002). Jazz Guitar: Bebop and Beyond, p.39. ISBN 978-0-7579-8281-1.
Miller, Scott (2002). Mel Bay Getting Into Jazz Fusion Guitar, p.44. ISBN 0-7866-6248-4.

Chords

By form

Triad	Major Minor Augmented Diminished Suspended
Seventh	Leading-tone Major Minor Dominant Dominant seventh flat five Diminished Half-diminished Diminished major Minor-major Augmented major Augmented minor Altered seventh Nondominant Harmonic seventh
Extended	Ninth Eleventh Thirteenth Upper structure Dominant 7♯9 Polychord Tone cluster
Added / omitted	Sixth Augmented sixth Lydian Seven six
Specific	Alpha Bridge Complexe sonore Dream Elektra Farben Grandmother Magic Mystic Northern lights Petrushka Psalms So What Tristan Viennese trichord
General	Mixed interval Secundal Tertian Quartal Synthetic chord Tetrad

By function

Diatonic	Tonic Supertonic Mediant Subdominant Dominant Submediant Leading tone / Subtonic
Altered	Approach Borrowed Chromatic mediant Neapolitan Passing
Secondary	Secondary dominant Secondary leading-tone Secondary supertonic
Other	Common Contrast Primary triad Subsidiary Substitute

Techniques

Other

Category:

Eleventh chords