Chord Shapes

Major 7th Sharp 11th

Intervals: 1-3-5-7-9-#11 (optionally 13). The archetypal Lydian maj7 chord. Raising the 4th to #11 removes the harsh 4–3 clash and creates a bright, floating quality strongly associated with modern jazz and film music. As a tonic, it implies the Lydian mode (scale with raised 4th) rather than standard Ionian; as a subdominant, it can lead back to Imaj7 or modulate smoothly. Examples include many Pat Metheny compositions and certain Bill Evans voicings. The #11 is usually voiced high to keep the chord clear and is sustained as a colour note rather than rushed to resolution.