Chord · E Dominant 13th
E13 Chord
E13 is E, G#, B, D, F# and C# — big; jazz V chord at full extension.
E13 on every instrument
The same 6 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What E13 is made of
E13 (E thirteenth) is built from the notes E, G#, B, D, F#, C#, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 13.
Stack 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 on a root of E and you get E, G#, B, D, F# and C#. 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 E13.
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 G♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain E13
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 E
Same root, different colour.
The same thirteenth shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about E13
- What notes are in the E13 chord?
- E13 is made of E, G#, B, D, F# and C# — the 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 degrees of a thirteenth chord built on E.
- What keys use the E13 chord?
- Every note of E13 belongs to 2 keys: A Major (V), F# Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play E13 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows E13 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 E13 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.