Hi all,
I am a bit confused as to why the 11th extension in C Major is F# and not F?
I decided to have a look at Chord Studies for Trombone as gets mentioned on TB and I was thrown because the very first item has a sharp 11 and I don't feel like I can move on until I understand why!
Much appreciate your thoughts.
W
First, I don't think you would expect a C11 in C major. Why? C11 is a dominant form so it is the V of F Major. The chord tones would be CEGBbDF. You would omit the E (maj 3rd) to avoid undesired disonance.
If the chord has a sharp 11 it would be notated a bit different. For example, CMaj#11, CMaj7#11, or C7#11.
You may find this Wiki informative
Lydian chord - Wikipedia
Functional harmony basically means chords function in either a Major or Minor key. Figure out what key the chord is functioning in. From that you can tell if the #11 is diatonic or an alteration. Knowing this should inform you on what non-chord tones will work.
But there are many great cord progressions that really cannot be analyzed as functional. You will quickly come across many examples if you try to analyze jazz standards. When this occurs, analysis of chord progressions is sometimes more of an art than science.
Here's a hint regarding altered chords: Functional analysis may require consideration of an inverted form of the chord and consideration of a hidden chord tone (the actual functional root ). In other words, the actual chord is an altered sub for the functional harmony. Maybe @Whousedtoplay will be kind enough to give you a few examples.
Sorry, I am not really at the application level of knowledge on this stuff, but I see it and struggle with it whenever I try to analyze music, which I rarely do.
From my perception, theory sometimes seems like a somewhat contrived attempt to make sense of (and codify) something that sounds nice to the ears, so we can communicate a harmonic form and repeat results in the future. I.E. much of what you hear is a proven formula that is known to work, but doesn't really make sense from a music theory standpoint.
Different masters may make different assumptions when analyzing such passages and make different note choices based on those assumptions. It's interesting to see how someone who was alive when the chords were first written will explain the progression. This is also true of someone who has more of a historical understanding, for example a professor who studies a certain period and genre of music. The rules of music theory tend to change, so such a person may understand the context of how harmony, chord structure, and voice leading was evolving at that time in a way that is lost to someone of a younger generation.
Try not to allow yourself to get too bogged down or frustrated by your inability to understand everything about how music theory works. You could study music theory for the rest of your life and still have plenty to learn. So take it slow, follow your interests, and be kind to yourself.
Sorry I probably made matters worse.
