As the VF major
- ii7Gm7
- V13C13
- Imaj7Fmaj7
C13 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
C13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, E, B♭, D and A.
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
- C · E · B♭ · D · A
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- C
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- C13
C13 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C13 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C, index finger on E, middle finger on B♭, ring finger on D and little finger on A. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C1
- E3
- B♭♭7
- D9
- A13
C13 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
C13 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B♭(Bb) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | A |
How to use the C13 chord
The C13 chord is built from a root, a major third, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a major thirteenth. Start at the root C and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C, E, B♭, D and A. 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.
Where C13 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 C13 chord?
- The C13 chord contains C, E, B♭, D and A (C, E, Bb, D and A in plain text).
- Is the C13 chord major or minor?
- C13 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 C13 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C, E, B♭, D and A and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right.
- How do you play C13 on guitar?
- C13 is typically played with the fingering shown in the diagram above. If one of the chord tones lines up with an open string, an open position is worth trying too.
- What chords work well with C13?
- C13 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.