As the VF♯ major
- ii7G♯m7
- V13C♯13
- Imaj7F♯maj7
C♯13 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
C♯13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, E♯, B, D♯ and A♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭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
- C♯ · E♯ · B · D♯ · A♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- C♯13
C♯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 C♯13 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. On the keyboard C♯, D♯ and A♯ are black keys and E♯ and B are white. E♯ is the key you'd normally call F. 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.
- C♯1
- E♯3
- B♭7
- D♯9
- A♯13
C♯13 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
C♯ · E♯ · B · D♯ · A♯
Try C♯13 on the virtual piano
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C♯13 chord notes
Also known as D♭13
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♯(E#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D♯(D#) | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | A♯(A#) |
How to use the C♯13 chord
The C♯13 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.
How C♯13 differs from similar chords
C♯13 tops the dominant family, with a thirteenth over C♯7 and C♯9. The thirteenth is the sixth an octave higher, and that is the line between it and C♯6: C♯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 C♯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 C♯13 chord?
- The C♯13 chord contains C♯, E♯, B, D♯ and A♯ (C#, E#, B, D# and A# in plain text).
- Is the C♯13 chord major or minor?
- C♯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 C♯13 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. On the keyboard C♯, D♯ and A♯ are black keys and E♯ and B are white. E♯ is the key you'd normally call F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♯13 chord?
- C♯13 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭13. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.