Major 13th Chords on Piano

The major 13th chord is the fullest extension of the major 7th — a seven-note voicing that represents the complete major scale harmonized as a single chord. It creates a luminous, orchestral quality used in jazz, film scoring, and sophisticated pop.

Formula: Root – 3rd – 5th – 7th – 9th – 11th – 13th

Scale degrees: 1–3–5–7–9–11–13

Sound: Luminous, orchestral, lush, complete

Symbol: maj13, M13 (Cmaj13)

The complete chord: Cmaj13 contains all seven notes of the C major scale stacked in thirds. In practice, drop the 5th and 11th (which clashes with the 3rd). The 13th adds a sweet, warm colour on top of the already lush maj9 sound. This voicing appears in orchestral jazz and film scoring.

Major 13th Chord in All 18 Keys