- Eleventh
In
music ormusic theory an eleventh Audio|Perfect eleventh on C.mid|play is thenote elevenscale degree s from theroot of a chord and also the interval between the root and the eleventh.Since there are only seven degrees in a
diatonic scale the eleventh degree is the same as thesubdominant and the interval of an eleventh is a compound fourth.An eleventh chord is a chord which contains the tertian extension of the eleventh. Typically found in
jazz , an eleventh chord will also usually include the seventh and ninth along with elements of the basic triad structure. However, since the major diatonic eleventh (for example the F on the C11 chord shown at right) would create a dissonantminor ninth interval with the third of the chord (the E), it is not used in functional contexts. The dominant eleventh (C, E, G, B♭, D, F), for example, usually omits the fifth and third Audio|Dominant eleventh chord on C.mid|play. The dominant 7#11 chord usually omits the fifth since the sharpened eleventh equals the lowered fifth (b5) Audio|Db7sharp11 chord.mid|Play.In the dominant eleventh, because this minor ninth interval between the third and the eleventh is more problematic to the ear and to
voice leading than a major ninth would be, alterations to the third or eleventh scale degrees are a common solution. When the third is lowered, a minor eleventh chord is formed with a major ninth interval between the two notes in question (e.g. C, E♭, G, B♭, D, F) Audio|Minor eleventh chord on C.mid|play. Similarly, the eleventh may be raised chromatically over a major triad (e.g. to F♯ in a C major chord) to imply the lydian dominant mode. A less common solution to the issue is to simply omit the third in the presence of the eleventh, resulting in a chord enharmonic to thesuspended chord (sus4). This type of chord should be notated as such.The eleventh chord, with the third omitted and the seventh flattened, is particularly useful in
diatonic music when a composer or accompanist wishes to allow thetonic note of a key to be heard while also sounding thedominant of that key in the bass, but while not playing the second inversion of the triad on the tonic. Therefore, something similar to aperfect cadence may be attempted under a melody which does not leave the tonic note (e.g. a perfect cadence in F might require that the melody moves by step from E to F, or from G to F; whereas, if the first of the two notes is harmonized by an eleventh chord, the melody may remain on F, while the bass still plays the typical pattern of a perfect cadence i.e. dominant-tonic). The eleventh chord also expands the versatility of thedominant pedal compositional technique.ee also
*
Elektra chord , analyzible as an E11
*Jazz chord
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