Arpeggio
F 7♯11
Dominant
- Formula
- 1 3 5 ♭7 ♯11
- Notes
- F A C E♭ B
Notation
Fretboard — frets 0–24
Degrees
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | perfect unison | 0 | The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves. |
| 3 | A | major third | 4 | The major third — the bright note that makes a quality major; it defines the chord's colour and pulls gently toward the root. |
| 5 | C | perfect fifth | 7 | The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality. |
| ♭7 | E♭ | minor seventh | 10 | The minor seventh — the dominant's engine; a whole step under the root, it turns a triad into a 7 chord and drives the resolution. |
| ♯11 | B | augmented eleventh | 18 | The augmented eleventh — the sharp fourth an octave up; the lydian signature that makes maj7♯11 and 7♯11 soar. |
About this arpeggio
The dominant seventh sharp eleventh is the lydian dominant sound: a dominant chord whose raised fourth adds lift instead of darkness. The tritone between the major third and the minor seventh still drives the resolution, but the sharp eleventh opens the top of the chord, which is why it is the standard choice over a dominant resolving down a half-step — the tritone-substitution sound. Jazz, fusion and film scores use it when a dominant needs to glow rather than snarl. The quality also fits the altered scale's brighter cousin, the lydian dominant scale. Listen for the sharp eleventh floating above the tritone.
How to practise this arpeggio
- Play the sharp eleventh and hear it lift the dominant tritone.
- Use it over a dominant resolving down a half-step.
- Compare it with the plain 7 and isolate the raised fourth.
- Improvise over the chord and make the sharp eleventh a destination.