As the VC♯ major
- ii7D♯m7
- V13G♯13
- Imaj7C♯maj7
G♯13 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
G♯13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B♯, F♯, A♯ and E♯. 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
- G♯ · B♯ · F♯ · A♯ · E♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- G♯13
G♯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 G♯13 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♯, index finger on B♯, middle finger on E♯, ring finger on F♯ and little finger on A♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯, F♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯ and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call C and 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.
- G♯1
- B♯3
- E♯13
- F♯♭7
- A♯9
G♯13 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
G♯ · B♯ · F♯ · A♯ · E♯
Try G♯13 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
G♯13 chord notes
Also known as A♭13
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B♯(B#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | F♯(F#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | A♯(A#) | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | E♯(E#) |
How to use the G♯13 chord
The G♯13 chord is built from a root, a major third, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a major thirteenth. Start at the root G♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♯, B♯, F♯, A♯ and E♯. 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 G♯13 differs from similar chords
G♯13 tops the dominant family, with a thirteenth over G♯7 and G♯9. The thirteenth is the sixth an octave higher, and that is the line between it and G♯6: G♯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 G♯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 G♯13 chord?
- The G♯13 chord contains G♯, B♯, F♯, A♯ and E♯ (G#, B#, F#, A# and E# in plain text).
- Is the G♯13 chord major or minor?
- G♯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 G♯13 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♯, B♯, F♯, A♯ and E♯ 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 G♯, F♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯ and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call C and F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the G♯13 chord?
- G♯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.