# Guitar players: what's this chord?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-players-whats-this-chord/809848>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 1, 2018, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-players-whats-this-chord/809848 "2018-03-01T19:20:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-players-whats-this-chord/809848/21 "2018-03-02T13:11:45Z")

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> [@K364](#):
>
> Interesting. It doesn’t sound that bad. And it just ACHES to resolve to F Major.
> 
> 5 out the 6 notes are in C7. The last note is the tritone of C: F#
> 
> So, in the key of F Major we have the dominant seventh chord superimposed on top of the tritone substitution chord\*. That’s why it works: the notes E and Bb are the third and flat seventh of C7, at the same time they are the flat seventh and the third of F#7.
> 
> \*For those that don’t know what Tritone Substitution is, look it up… you’ll learn something very useful.

Yeah, the C7#11 can used as an colored V7 chord that resolves to F. [Post #6](http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/theory/20159-when-employ-dominant-7-sharp-11-a.html) here explains some other uses. (As a bVII7 in a backdoor progression that resolves to D; as a tritone sub resolving down a half step to the minor (Bm, in our case.); as a coloring for IV7 or bVI7 chords. And there’s more nerd theory talking in there, too.)

For me, with the 13th on top (although not wholly necessary), I would use that chord as the final chord in an ending tag for a jazz tune. “Satin Doll” is the one I particularly remember learning it for. So no resolution, just end on a I 13#11 (C13#11 in the key I normally play it in. The final musical figure is single notes of C-E(below the previous C and walking up to it)-F-F#-G-A-B-C, pause, and hit a C13#11 on the upbeat.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-players-whats-this-chord/809848/22 "2018-03-02T15:58:27Z")

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[QUOTE=pulykamell;20822231  
For me, with the 13th on top (although not wholly necessary), I would use that chord as the final chord in an ending tag for a jazz tune. “Satin Doll” is the one I particularly remember learning it for. So no resolution, just end on a I 13#11 (C13#11 in the key I normally play it in. The final musical figure is single notes of C-E(below the previous C and walking up to it)-F-F#-G-A-B-C, pause, and hit a C13#11 on the upbeat.[/QUOTE]

To explain better, [here’s an audio sample](http://www.pawinskiphotography.com/public/csharp11.mp3) of the end of “Satin Doll” with the ending tag played as a C7#11 (so without the 13th I usually play.)

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