1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
C13 is a dominant thirteenth chord made of 6 notes: C, E, G, B♭, D, A. It sounds full and jazzy, the most colourful dominant chord, and you hear it in jazz, blues and big-band endings. It is the V chord of F major and turns up in 2 other keys.
The library above opens on C13 with 14 shapes up and down the neck. Tap a shape to hear it, or play it one string at a time.
| Note | Degree | Interval from C | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | root | 0 |
| E | 3 | major third | 4 |
| G | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
| B♭ | ♭7 | minor seventh | 10 |
| D | 9 | major ninth | 14 |
| A | 13 | major thirteenth | 21 |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9 – 13. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord.
8777868080808(10)89(10)(10)x30355857556800056The fret 5 shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 6th fret (877786): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.
C13 belongs to 3 keys: V in F major, VII in D minor, V7 in F minor. In F major, try I–V–vi–IV: F – C13 – Dm – B♭.
C, E, G, B♭, D, A: the root, major third, fifth, minor seventh, ninth, thirteenth.
Fret 5: 800056 (low string first), rated Easy.
C13 has A. C13 sounds full and jazzy, the most colourful dominant chord; C9 sounds funky and full, a seventh chord with more colour.
No. The easiest shape is rated Easy and needs 3 fingers.