As the VE♭ major
- ii7Fm7
- V13B♭13
- Imaj7E♭maj7
B♭13 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
B♭13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♭13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note B♭. Its notes are B♭, D, A♭, C and G. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♯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
- B♭ · D · A♭ · C · G
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- B♭
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- B♭13
B♭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 B♭13 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 B♭ and A♭ are black keys and D, C and G 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.
- B♭1
- C9
- D3
- G13
- A♭♭7
B♭13 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♭13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Strings 4 and 3 ring open. Don't play string 6.
B♭ · D · A♭ · C · G
Try B♭13 on the virtual piano
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B♭13 chord notes
Also known as A♯13
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♭(Bb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | G |
How to use the B♭13 chord
The B♭13 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 B♭13 differs from similar chords
B♭13 tops the dominant family, with a thirteenth over B♭7 and B♭9. The thirteenth is the sixth an octave higher, and that is the line between it and B♭6: B♭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 B♭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 B♭13 chord?
- The B♭13 chord contains B♭, D, A♭, C and G (Bb, D, Ab, C and G in plain text).
- Is the B♭13 chord major or minor?
- B♭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 B♭13 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 B♭ and A♭ are black keys and D, C and G 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 B♭13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Strings 4 and 3 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♭13 chord?
- B♭13 is enharmonically equivalent to A♯13. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.