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E♭ Dominant 13th

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

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

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

At the keyboard

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

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

Construction

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

Key Signature

A dominant chord points home to the key a fifth below its root: the E♭ Dominant 13th is the V (dominant) of Ab Major, so the relevant key signature is that key’s — 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Spelled as a scale, these notes are Eb Mixolydian.

B♭E♭A♭D♭

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 A♭ Major

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

C1C2C3C4CC6C7C8A♭E♭
IA♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IA♭ MajorMajor
2iiB♭ MinorMinor
3iiiC MinorMinor
4IVD♭ MajorMajor
5VE♭ MajorMajor
6viF MinorMinor
7vii°G DiminishedDiminished

Same Notes, Other Names

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

E♭ Dominant 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the E♭ Dominant 13th chord on piano?
The E♭ Dominant 13th chord contains the notes E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – C. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the Eb Dominant 13th chord?
The Eb Dominant 13th chord (Eb13) contains 7 notes: Eb, G, Bb, Db, F, Ab, C. Formula: R-M3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13.
How is Eb13 used in music?
Eb13 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 Eb13?
Eb13 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

    Chopin, Frédéric(1832)

    Nocturne in E♭ major, Op. 9 No. 2

    Public domain score
  4. 4

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