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Chord · Reference entry

A♭ Major 13th

Major 13th · A♭ – C – E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ – F · intervals P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13

The A♭ Major 13th chord (A♭maj13) contains the notes A♭, C, E♭, G, B♭, D♭, and F. Its interval formula is R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13. A major 11th plus the 13th — maximally consonant extended chord, dense and shimmering.

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

At the keyboard

Ab · C · Eb · G · Bb · Db · F
Flashcards · Chord
Three questions on A♭ Major 13th
Answer on the keyboard, not with buttons. No login required.
A♭maj13

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.

Construction

A♭ Major 13th = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 7th + Major 2nd + Perfect 4th + Major 6th = A♭ · C · E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭ · F
NoteIntervalDegree
A♭Root1
CMajor 3rd3
E♭Perfect 5th5
GMajor 7th7
B♭Major 2nd9
D♭Perfect 4th11
FMajor 6th13

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the A♭ Major 13th is the tonic (I) chord of Ab Major, whose key signature has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).

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:

C1C2C3C4CC6C7C8G#D#
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 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♭ Major 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the A♭ Major 13th chord on piano?
The A♭ Major 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 Major 13th chord?
Practical voicing: Ab–C–G–Bb–F (root, third, seventh, ninth, thirteenth).
How does Abmaj13 differ from Ab13?
Abmaj13 has major seventh (G). Ab13 has minor seventh (Gb).
How is Abmaj13 used in music?
Richest tonic in Ab Major. R&B, neo-soul, gospel, jazz ballads.
How does Abmaj13 differ from Abmaj9?
Adds the thirteenth (F) for sweet warmth.
What songs use Major 13th chords?
Jazz ballads, R&B, neo-soul.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — Ab–C–G–Bb–F.

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

    Goetschius, Percy(1889)

    The Material Used in Musical Composition

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Riemann, Hugo(1896)

    Harmony Simplified (English translation)

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    George Grove (ed.)(1900)

    A Dictionary of Music and Musicians

    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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