Maj#5 - the secret dominant

You will find the chord maj#5 on step III in both the minor harmonic scale and minor melodic scale.

A minor harmonic A minor melodic

I II III IV V VI VII I II III IV V VI VII

Am B C#5 D7 E7 F G#o7 Am Bm7 C#5 D7 E7 F# G#

In A minor the chord will be C#5.

Used as a tonic

You will normally hear this chord used as a tonic like this:

Used as a secret dominant

But you can also use the chord as a secret dominant when resolving the chord a fifth down to a chord.
In this case C#5 to F. Notice that in this secret dominant the chord 7 is replaced by !
 Maj#5 - the secret dominant

If you replace the (E) on F with the root (F) all the voice leading in the right hand will be cromathically
ascending. In other words in your right hand you will play an E major chord followed by an F major chord.

#5 chord as a slash chord

In modern jazz harmonics this chord is often heard. And instead of using the standard chord description
#5 you will often see this chord written as the slash chord E/C.

Cowboy trick

1. Left hand - Play the root

2. Right hand Play a major triad from the chord third. This triad can of course be inverted.

Try this in different keys.

Fmaj#5

1. Left hand Play F

2. Right hand Play A triad in any inversion.

Abmaj#5

1. Left hand Play Ab

2. Right hand Play C triad in any inversion.

And so on.