Maj7#5 chord

[mrman93]

Hey!

The Maj7 #5 chord, when is it used and how often is it used?

Du you like the sound of it?

[VersatileJazzGuitarist]

Originally Posted by mrman93

Hey!

The Maj7 #5 chord, when is it used and how often is it used?

Du you like the sound of it?

Great question, MrMan. The answer is it's not used very often, but I've seen it two ways:

1. Before playing the final Imaj7 chord of a cadence, precede it with the IMaj7#5 and then resolve the #5 down to the Perfect 5. As in: Dmi7|G7|CMaj7#5 CMaj7. This is a pretty technique, especially on a ballad.

2. Some tunes are written with Maj7#5 chords in the chart. I know Tom Harrell has some. Perhaps "Sail Away"?

One reason this chord sounds cool is it's usually played as a slash chord. A Cmaj7#5 is equivalent to Emaj/C.

The scale I use to improvise over this chord is Lydian Augmented, and the possible color tones to add to the basic sevent chord are major 9, major 13, and augmented 11.

[ksjazzguitar]

I use it sometimes. It depends on whom you're playing with. Some guys have great ears and can react to that and comp or solo appropriately. It definitely is a more "advanced" sound. I like to use them in solo arrangements where I don't have to worry about someone else. If I'm using them in a combo setting, then I have to know the guys can hear it.

I agree with Richard that they can be used as a dissonance that needs to be resolved, but used correctly, they can also be a quasi-stable sound without resolution.

Peace,
Kevin

[jseaberry]

I love the sound and use it a lot, especially when playing triads over a static or held chord. If you like the Aebersold play-alongs, there is a recent Randy Brecker one that will have you quite comfy with #5s in short order.

[bako]

CMa7+ superimposed over bass notes. A few possibilities.

Bass Note-----C---E---G#---B---------Chord

C---------------1---3--#5-----7--------CMa7#5
D--------------b7---9--#11---13-------D13#11
F---------------5----7---b3---#11-----FmMa7#11
F#-------------b5--b7---9-----11-------F#m11b5
A--------------b3---5----7-----9--------AmMa9

[Andrés_G]

As I see it, it works almost every time when used as the 3rd grade of a minor key.
So, if the key is A minor, whenever a Cmaj7 is used, you can use instead Cmaj7#5. You can try it with All the things you are, beautiful love, autumn leaves, it just sounds great.
This is because the raised fifth of the chord, is equal to the 7th degree (major 7th) of the minor key, so you can say that this chord is justified.

Ps: excuse my confusion with the words degrees and grades, I hope you can understand me.