As the VD♭ major
- ii7E♭m7
- V13A♭13
- Imaj7D♭maj7
A♭13 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
A♭13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♭13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note A♭. Its notes are A♭, C, G♭, B♭ and F. It's enharmonically the same chord as G♯13.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Dominant thirteenth chords are the fullest dominant sound in common use, a dominant seventh with a ninth and a thirteenth piled on top. The major sixth on top, sounding an octave up as the thirteenth, gives the chord a bright, open lid.
- Notes
- A♭ · C · G♭ · B♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- A♭
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- A♭13
A♭13 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♭13 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♭, index finger on C, middle finger on F, ring finger on G♭ and little finger on B♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♭, G♭ and B♭ are black keys and C and F are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♭1
- C3
- F13
- G♭♭7
- B♭9
A♭13 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♭13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
A♭ · C · G♭ · B♭ · F
Play A♭13 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
A♭13 chord notes
Also known as G♯13
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | C | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G♭(Gb) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | B♭(Bb) | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | F |
How to use the A♭13 chord
The A♭13 chord is built from a root, a major third, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a major thirteenth. Start at the root A♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A♭, C, G♭, B♭ and F. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant thirteenth chords are the default rich dominant in jazz, gospel and R&B horn and keyboard voicings, usually the V7 resolving to a major or minor tonic. Big band charts lean on them wherever a plain dominant seventh would sound thin.
How A♭13 differs from similar chords
A♭13 tops the dominant family, with a thirteenth over A♭7 and A♭9. The thirteenth is the sixth an octave higher, and that is the line between it and A♭6: A♭13 also has the minor seventh, so it keeps the dominant pull. The fifth and the eleventh are left out so the voicing doesn't get muddy.
Where A♭13 is used
A dominant chord wants to resolve. Its home is the V of a major key - and the I of a blues, where the pull never lets up.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♭13 chord?
- The A♭13 chord contains A♭, C, G♭, B♭ and F (Ab, C, Gb, Bb and F in plain text).
- Is the A♭13 chord major or minor?
- A♭13 is a dominant thirteenth chord. Dominant thirteenth chords are the fullest dominant sound in common use, a dominant seventh with a ninth and a thirteenth piled on top. The major sixth on top, sounding an octave up as the thirteenth, gives the chord a bright, open lid.
- How do you play A♭13 on piano?
- Place your fingers on A♭, C, G♭, B♭ and F and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard A♭, G♭ and B♭ are black keys and C and F are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play A♭13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the A♭13 chord?
- A♭13 is enharmonically equivalent to G♯13. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.