Cm7#5b9b11 Augmented
The Cm7#5b9b11 chord is built from the notes C – Eb – G# – Bb – Db – E.
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Chord tones, one by one
Root
The fundamental note the chord is built on — C.
Minor third
Three semitones — makes the chord minor (darker, sadder).
Augmented fifth (♯5)
Eight semitones — a sharp fifth. Restless and dreamy, typical of augmented chords.
Minor seventh (♭7)
Ten semitones — the dominant/minor seventh. Adds bluesy tension (7, m7).
Flat ninth (♭9)
A ♭9 — sharp, dissonant tension typical of altered dominant chords.
Extension (16 st)
An upper extension 16 semitones above the root.
🎹 Modal analysis
This chord is so rich it doesn't fit a single scale: it's a polychord (an “upper structure”) that stacks tensions from several scales at once. It doesn't work like a dominant that “wants” to resolve — it's pure color: picture one triad floating over an unrelated bass, the kind of sound used in reharmonization and modal passages. To make sense of it, follow the note-by-note breakdown above.
🎸 Genres
Modern jazz · Fusion · Film & TV scoring · Impressionism