A♭ Major 13th
Hear the A♭ Major 13th chord played for you.
Introduction
The A♭ Major 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, major seventh, major ninth, perfect eleventh, and major thirteenth.
Notes
Key Signature
The key of Ab Major 13th has 4 flats.
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.
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of Ab Major
These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the Ab major scale:
Theory: Intervals
The A♭ Major 13th is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13 show the distance between each note in the chord.
A♭ Major 13th — Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in the Ab Major 13th chord?
How does Abmaj13 differ from Ab13?
How is Abmaj13 used in music?
How does Abmaj13 differ from Abmaj9?
What songs use Major 13th chords?
Do I need to play all seven notes?
Practice Tips
- Practical voicing: Ab–C–G–Bb–F.
- Abmaj13 is the richest tonic in Ab — an R&B favourite.
- The thirteenth (F) gives warmth.
- Practice Bbm11 → Eb13 → Abmaj13.
- Rootless: C–G–Bb–F.
- Beautiful in gospel and neo-soul.