The major sixth with ♯11 is a colorful major-family chord that combines the warm sixth degree with a raised eleventh against the major third. It reads as a modern extension sound rather than a basic triad: still broadly “major,” but with a Lydian lift that can suggest modal mixture or contemporary jazz-pop harmony. It is especially effective when the melody uses the raised fourth degree as a stable color.
Construction
Practical formula: 1-3-5-6-♯11 (the seventh is not part of the symbol). In C6♯11, a working set might be C-E-G-A-F♯ depending on voicing priorities and which tones you double.
Usage
Use it on I or IV colors, as a passing chord between triads, and in neo-soul/jazz contexts where a plain 6 chord would sound too plain. It can also support pedal harmony where the bass stays static while upper structures shift.
Examples
- Neo-soul guitar voicings with sixth color and Lydian extensions
- Modern jazz reharmonizations of major cadences
- Pop production “lift” chords before a chorus
Play
Keep the major third clear, separate ♯11 from the third by register when possible, and treat the sixth as width rather than a tight cluster with the fifth.
Ear-training cues
Hear major third plus sixth warmth and the ♯11 sparkle above.
