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A♭ Dominant 13th

Dominant 13th · A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F · intervals P1-M3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13

The A♭ Dominant 13th chord (A♭13) contains the notes A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭, and F. Its interval formula is R-M3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13. A dominant 11th plus the 13th — the fullest dominant voicing, the sound of post-bop jazz comping.

G♯ Dominant 13th
This is the same chord as G♯ Dominant 13th — the same keys on the keyboard, spelled with sharps.

At the keyboard

Ab · C · Eb · Gb · Bb · Db · F
Flashcards · Chord
Three questions on A♭ Dominant 13th
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A♭13

The A♭ Dominant 13th chord is a seven-note chord made up of A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭, and F. It is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major ninth, perfect eleventh, and major thirteenth.

Construction

A♭ Dominant 13th = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th + Major 2nd + Perfect 4th + Major 6th = A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · F
NoteIntervalDegree
A♭Root1
CMajor 3rd3
E♭Perfect 5th5
G♭Minor 7th♭7
B♭Major 2nd9
D♭Perfect 4th11
FMajor 6th13

Key Signature

A dominant chord points home to the key a fifth below its root: the A♭ Dominant 13th is the V (dominant) of Db Major, so the relevant key signature is that key’s — 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). Spelled as a scale, these notes are Ab Mixolydian.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of D♭ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of the D♭ major scale:

C1C2C3C4FC5C6C7C8D♭A♭
ID♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1ID♭ MajorMajor
2iiE♭ MinorMinor
3iiiF MinorMinor
4IVG♭ MajorMajor
5VA♭ MajorMajor
6viB♭ MinorMinor
7vii°C DiminishedDiminished

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell the following:

A♭ Dominant 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the A♭ Dominant 13th chord on piano?
The A♭ Dominant 13th chord contains the notes A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the Ab Dominant 13th chord?
The Ab Dominant 13th chord (Ab13) contains 7 notes: Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb, Db, F. Formula: R-M3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13.
How is Ab13 used in music?
Ab13 is used in jazz, fusion, and contemporary music to add harmonic color. It appears as a dominant or tonic chord depending on context.
What is the scale degree formula for Ab13?
Ab13 uses scale degrees 1-3-5-b7-9-11-13, giving it its distinctive sound.

Related Tools

Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this chord page are grounded in the following sources. Public domain treatises and scores are linked to their full text; primary data is piano.org's own interval-derived reference dataset — continuously maintained and human-verified, with no fixed publication date.

  1. 1

    Prout, Ebenezer(1889)

    Harmony: Its Theory and Practice

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Goetschius, Percy(1889)

    The Material Used in Musical Composition

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Riemann, Hugo(1896)

    Harmony Simplified (English translation)

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

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