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Chord · Reference entry

B Minor 13th

Minor 13th · B – D – F♯ – A – C♯ – E – G♯ · intervals P1-m3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13

The B Minor 13th chord (Bm13) contains the notes B, D, F♯, A, C♯, E, and G♯. Its interval formula is R-m3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13. A minor 11th plus the 13th — rich and chromatic, common in modal jazz comping.

At the keyboard

B · D · F# · A · C# · E · G#
Maintained by Justin Evans, a pianist of 25 years
Maintained for accuracy · Last updated July 2026 · How we review
Flashcards · Chord
Three questions on B Minor 13th
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Bm13

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

Construction

B Minor 13th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th + Major 2nd + Perfect 4th + Major 6th = B · D · F♯ · A · C♯ · E · G♯
NoteIntervalDegree
BRoot1
DMinor 3rd♭3
F♯Perfect 5th5
AMinor 7th♭7
C♯Major 2nd9
EPerfect 4th11
G♯Major 6th13

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B Minor 13th is the tonic (i) chord of B Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, D Major — 2 sharps (F♯, C♯).

F♯C♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of B Minor

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

C1C2C3C4BC5DC6C7C8F#
i — B Minor (minor)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1iB MinorMinor
2ii°C♯ DiminishedDiminished
3IIID MajorMajor
4ivE MinorMinor
5vF♯ MinorMinor
6VIG MajorMajor
7VIIA MajorMajor

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 Minor 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the B Minor 13th chord on piano?
The B Minor 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 B Minor 13th chord?
Practical voicing: B–D–A–C#–G#.
How does Bm13 differ from B13?
Bm13 has minor third (D). B13 has major third (D#).
How is Bm13 used in music?
Richest ii in A Major, iii in G Major. Folk-jazz, acoustic, pop.
How does Bm13 differ from Bm11?
Adds the thirteenth (G#) for brightness.
What songs use Minor 13th chords?
Modal jazz, folk-jazz, neo-soul.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — B–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

    Jadassohn, Salomon(1883)

    A Manual of Harmony

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Prout, Ebenezer(1889)

    Harmony: Its Theory and Practice

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Goetschius, Percy(1889)

    The Material Used in Musical Composition

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

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