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B♭ Dominant 13th

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

The B♭ Dominant 13th chord (B♭13) contains the notes B♭, D, F, A♭, C, E♭, and G. 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.

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

At the keyboard

Bb · D · F · Ab · C · Eb · G
Flashcards · Chord
Three questions on B♭ Dominant 13th
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B♭13

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

Construction

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

Key Signature

A dominant chord points home to the key a fifth below its root: the B♭ Dominant 13th is the V (dominant) of Eb Major, so the relevant key signature is that key’s — 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Spelled as a scale, these notes are Bb Mixolydian.

B♭E♭A♭

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 E♭ Major

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

C1C2C3C4GC5C6C7C8E♭B♭
IE♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IE♭ MajorMajor
2iiF MinorMinor
3iiiG MinorMinor
4IVA♭ MajorMajor
5VB♭ MajorMajor
6viC MinorMinor
7vii°D DiminishedDiminished

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes B♭ – D – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – G 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:

B♭ Dominant 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the B♭ Dominant 13th chord on piano?
The B♭ Dominant 13th chord contains the notes B♭ – D – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – G. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the Bb Dominant 13th chord?
The Bb Dominant 13th chord (Bb13) contains 7 notes: Bb, D, F, Ab, C, Eb, G. Formula: R-M3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13.
How is Bb13 used in music?
Bb13 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 Bb13?
Bb13 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

    Jadassohn, Salomon(1883)

    A Manual of Harmony

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Prout, Ebenezer(1889)

    Harmony: Its Theory and Practice

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Goetschius, Percy(1889)

    The Material Used in Musical Composition

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

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Entry reviewed and maintained by Justin Evans. Corrections are read and applied.Report an error

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