The dominant 9♯11♭13 combines two strong upper-story colors: the raised eleventh that reads as Lydian brightness over the major third, and the lowered thirteenth that pulls harmony toward a darker altered side. It is a sophisticated dominant extension chord—less “pure sunshine” than 9♯11 alone, and less purely shadowed than 9♭13 alone. You will find it in jazz, fusion, and contemporary arranging when harmony should feel wide but still weighted.
Construction
Practical stack: 1-3-5-♭7-9-♯11-♭13 (the fifth is often omitted). In C9♯11♭13, a workable spelling includes C-E-B♭-D-F♯-A♭ while letting register and spacing determine which tones are explicit in a given voicing.
Usage
Use it on dominant stations where the melody or arrangement wants both lift and gravity: approaching minor targets, modal dominant areas, and reharmonizations of turnaround bars. It can also help a dominant bar feel less generic than a plain 13 voicing.
Examples
- Modern jazz standards with altered dominant harmony in the bridge
- Fusion tunes that mix Lydian lines with darker side-slips
- Arranged horn hits where the upper structure is the hook
Play
Anchor 3-♭7, separate ♯11 and ♭13 across registers, and keep the ninth in a clear layer so the chord still reads as a ninth chord rather than a random cluster. If density is high, remove the fifth before removing the ninth.
Ear-training cues
Listen for third/♯11 brightness simultaneously with ♭13 darkness—that dual identity is the point.
