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Chord · Reference entry

B♭ Major 13th

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

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

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

At the keyboard

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

The B♭ Major 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, major seventh, major ninth, perfect eleventh, and major thirteenth.

Construction

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

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B♭ Major 13th is the tonic (I) chord of Bb Major, whose key signature has 2 flats (B♭, E♭).

B♭E♭

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 B♭ Major

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

C1C2C3C4C5DFC6C7C8A#
IB♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IB♭ MajorMajor
2iiC MinorMinor
3iiiD MinorMinor
4IVE♭ MajorMajor
5VF MajorMajor
6viG MinorMinor
7vii°A 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♭ Major 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the B♭ Major 13th chord on piano?
The B♭ Major 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 Major 13th chord?
Practical voicing: Bb–D–A–C–G (root, third, seventh, ninth, thirteenth).
How does Bbmaj13 differ from Bb13?
Bbmaj13 has major seventh (A). Bb13 has minor seventh (Ab).
How is Bbmaj13 used in music?
Richest tonic in Bb Major — one of the most common jazz keys. Big band, jazz standards, R&B.
How does Bbmaj13 differ from Bbmaj9?
Adds the thirteenth (G) for sweet warmth.
What songs use Major 13th chords?
Jazz standards, big band, neo-soul.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — Bb–D–A–C–G.

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

    Riemann, Hugo(1896)

    Harmony Simplified (English translation)

    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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