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G♭ Major 13th

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

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

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

At the keyboard

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

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

Construction

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

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the G♭ Major 13th is the tonic (I) chord of Gb Major, whose key signature has 6 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭).

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭

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 G♭ Major

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

C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8F#A#C#
IG♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IG♭ MajorMajor
2iiA♭ MinorMinor
3iiiB♭ MinorMinor
4IVB MajorMajor
5VD♭ MajorMajor
6viE♭ MinorMinor
7vii°F DiminishedDiminished

Same Notes, Other Names

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

G♭ Major 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the G♭ Major 13th chord on piano?
The G♭ Major 13th chord contains the notes G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the Gb Major 13th chord?
Practical voicing: Gb–Bb–F–Ab–Eb. Enharmonic equivalent of F#maj13.
How does Gbmaj13 differ from Gb13?
Gbmaj13 has major seventh (F). Gb13 has minor seventh (Fb/E).
How is Gbmaj13 used in music?
Richest tonic in Gb. Musicians often use F#maj13.
How does Gbmaj13 differ from Gbmaj9?
Adds the thirteenth (Eb) for warmth.
What songs use Major 13th chords?
Jazz, neo-soul.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — Gb–Bb–F–Ab–Eb.

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

    George Grove (ed.)(1900)

    A Dictionary of Music and Musicians

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Jadassohn, Salomon(1883)

    A Manual of Harmony

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Schubert, Franz(1827)

    Impromptu in G♭ major, Op. 90 No. 3 (D. 899)

    Public domain score
  4. 4

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