Chord · B Dominant 13th
B13 Chord
B13 is B, D#, F#, A, C# and G# — big; jazz V chord at full extension.
B13 on every instrument
The same 6 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What B13 is made of
B13 (B thirteenth) is built from the notes B, D#, F#, A, C#, G#, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 13.
Stack 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 on a root of B and you get B, D#, F#, A, C# and G#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a thirteenth chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C13 sounds like a transposed B13.
Dominant 13th: Big; jazz V chord at full extension.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with D♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain B13
All 6 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Minor keys
Other chords on B
Same root, different colour.
The same thirteenth shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about B13
- What notes are in the B13 chord?
- B13 is made of B, D#, F#, A, C# and G# — the 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 degrees of a thirteenth chord built on B.
- What keys use the B13 chord?
- Every note of B13 belongs to 2 keys: E Major (V), C# Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play B13 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows B13 on guitar and piano — 3 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why B13 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.