As the VA♭ major
- ii7B♭m7
- V13E♭13
- Imaj7A♭maj7
E♭13 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
E♭13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♭13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note E♭. Its notes are E♭, G, D♭, F and C. 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
- E♭ · G · D♭ · F · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- E♭
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- E♭13
E♭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 E♭13 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E♭, index finger on G, middle finger on C, ring finger on D♭ and little finger on F. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard E♭ and D♭ are black keys and G, F and C 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.
- E♭1
- G3
- C13
- D♭♭7
- F9
E♭13 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♭13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 5 and 8. Don't play string 6.
E♭ · G · D♭ · F · C
Play E♭13 on the online piano
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E♭13 chord notes
Also known as D♯13
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♭(Eb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D♭(Db) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | C |
How to use the E♭13 chord
The E♭13 chord is built from a root, a major third, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a major thirteenth. Start at the root E♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E♭, G, D♭, F and C. 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 E♭13 differs from similar chords
E♭13 tops the dominant family, with a thirteenth over E♭7 and E♭9. The thirteenth is the sixth an octave higher, and that is the line between it and E♭6: E♭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 E♭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 E♭13 chord?
- The E♭13 chord contains E♭, G, D♭, F and C (Eb, G, Db, F and C in plain text).
- Is the E♭13 chord major or minor?
- E♭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 E♭13 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E♭, G, D♭, F and C 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 E♭ and D♭ are black keys and G, F and C 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 E♭13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 5 and 8. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the E♭13 chord?
- E♭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.