As the VE major
- ii7F♯m7
- V13B13
- Imaj7Emaj7
B13 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
B13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note B. Its notes are B, D♯, A, C♯ and G♯.
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
- B · D♯ · A · C♯ · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- B
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- B13
B13 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B13 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B, index finger on C♯, middle finger on D♯, ring finger on G♯ and little finger on A. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯, C♯ and G♯ are black keys and B and A are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B1
- C♯9
- D♯3
- G♯13
- A♭7
B13 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Don't play string 6.
B · D♯ · A · C♯ · G♯
Try B13 on the virtual piano
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B13 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D♯(D#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C♯(C#) | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | G♯(G#) |
How to use the B13 chord
The B13 chord is built from a root, a major third, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a major thirteenth. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, D♯, A, C♯ and G♯. 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 B13 differs from similar chords
B13 tops the dominant family, with a thirteenth over B7 and B9. The thirteenth is the sixth an octave higher, and that is the line between it and B6: B13 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 B13 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 B13 chord?
- The B13 chord contains B, D♯, A, C♯ and G♯ (B, D#, A, C# and G# in plain text).
- Is the B13 chord major or minor?
- B13 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 B13 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B, D♯, A, C♯ and G♯ 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 D♯, C♯ and G♯ are black keys and B and A are white.
- How do you play B13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with B13?
- B13 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.