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 C13.
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 notes
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 D𝄪, middle finger on A♯, ring finger on C𝄪 and little finger on G𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♯ is a black key and B♯, D𝄪, C𝄪 and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, E, D and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- D𝄪3
- A♯♭7
- C𝄪9
- G𝄪13
B♯13 on guitar
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 3 and 5. String 4 rings open. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · D𝄪 · A♯ · C𝄪 · G𝄪
Play B♯13 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯13 chord notes
Also known as C13
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D𝄪(D##) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♯(A#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C𝄪(C##) | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | G𝄪(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
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯13 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯13 chord?
- The B♯13 chord contains B♯, D𝄪, A♯, C𝄪 and G𝄪 (B#, D##, A#, 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 A♯ is a black key and B♯, D𝄪, C𝄪 and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, E, D and A.
- How do you play B♯13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 3 and 5. String 4 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯13 chord?
- B♯13 is enharmonically equivalent to C13. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.