Arpeggio
E maj7♯11
Major
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 ♯11
- Notes
- E G♯ B D♯ A♯
Notation
Fretboard — frets 0–24
Degrees
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | perfect unison | 0 | The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves. |
| 3 | G♯ | 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 | B | perfect fifth | 7 | The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality. |
| 7 | D♯ | major seventh | 11 | The major seventh — the leading tone a half-step under the root; in maj7 it glows, in harmonic minor it sharpens the pull home. |
| ♯11 | A♯ | 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 major seventh sharp eleventh is the sound of the lydian scale: a major seventh chord whose raised fourth lifts the whole harmony off the ground. The sharp eleventh sits a tritone above the root, but in this context it does not pull toward resolution — it floats, which is why film composers reach for it in wonder-and-space moments and jazz players use it over a major chord that refuses to sound ordinary. The chord keeps its warm major third and seventh underneath, so the tension stays luminous rather than dark. Listen for the shimmer where the sharp eleventh meets the fifth; that wide, open interval is the signature.
How to practise this arpeggio
- Play the sharp eleventh and hold it against the fifth to hear the shimmer.
- Move the shape up a whole step and hear how the raised fourth changes colour.
- Improvise over a lydian vamp and make the sharp eleventh your destination.
- Compare it with maj7 to isolate exactly what the raised fourth does.