Chord Shapes

Dominant 13th Sharp 11th

Intervals (conceptual): 1-3-5-b7-9-#11-13, though any given voicing will choose a subset. This is a fully extended Lydian dominant chord, producing an extremely open, luminous dominant quality. It is ideal for long pedal points on a single dominant (e.g. IV13#11 in a bluesy setting) and for cinematic writing where the harmony needs both brightness and depth. In functional cadences it can act as an especially colourful V chord, with the #11 and 13 resolving by step into chord tones of the tonic. Think of the parent mode as Lydian dominant and use this sound sparingly for maximum effect.