Piano · thirteenth
F♯13 Chord on Piano
F# Dominant 13th is F#, A#, C#, E, G#, D# — the 1-3-5-b7-9-13 pattern of a thirteenth chord. There are 2 ways to play it on piano, ranked below from easiest to hardest.
Every voicing below is the same 6 notes in a different order. Root position is the one to learn first; the inversions exist to keep your hand still when you change chords.
Start here — Root Position (RH)
Root position — the root is the lowest note. This is the sound in your head when you read the chord symbol, and the one to learn first.
Ways to voice it — 2 voicings, easiest first
Same 6 notes in all of them. What changes is which one sits at the bottom — and how far your hand has to travel to get there.
Way 1 of 2
Root Position (RH)
Easiest here· advanced· the standard shape
Root position — the root is the lowest note. This is the sound in your head when you read the chord symbol, and the one to learn first.
Keys: F#4 · A#4 · C#5 · E5 · G#5 · D#6
Way 2 of 2
Spread Voicing (Both)
advanced
Root position — the root is the lowest note. This is the sound in your head when you read the chord symbol, and the one to learn first.
Keys: F#3 · C#4 · E4 · G#4 · A#4 · D#5
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Root Position (RH).
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
F#13 on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on piano.
F#13 on Piano — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play F#13 on piano?
“Root Position (RH)” — which we rate advanced — is the easiest F#13 shape on piano. Root position — the root is the lowest note. This is the sound in your head when you read the chord symbol, and the one to learn first.
What notes are in the F# Dominant 13th chord?
F# Dominant 13th is F#, A#, C#, E, G#, D# — the 1-3-5-b7-9-13 interval pattern of a thirteenth chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
How many ways can you play F#13 on piano?
This page has 2 F#13 voicings for piano, ranked from easiest to hardest: Root Position (RH), Spread Voicing (Both). They all sound like F#13; the differences are how hard they are to hold and how high they sit.
What can I play instead of F#13?
The nearest stand-ins on piano that keep the same root are F#sus4, F#sus2, F#. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play F#13 on other instruments?
Yes. F#13 is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar.
Learn the theory behind F#13
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.