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C♭ Minor 13th

Hear the C♭ Minor 13th chord played for you.

C♭m13
C♭ – E♭ – G – B♭ – D – F – A
Formula:R-m3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13
Intervals:P1-m3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13
Scale Degrees:1-b3-5-b7-9-11-13

Introduction

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

The Cb Minor 13th piano chord (Cbm13) consists of the notes Cb, Eb, G, Bb, D, F, A. It is a minor 11th chord with an added major 13th, giving it a dark and sophisticated character often used in jazz ballads and modal jazz. Formula: R-m3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13 | Scale degrees: 1-b3-5-b7-9-11-13.

Notes

Notes:C♭ – E♭ – G – B♭ – D – F – A

Key Signature

The key of Cb Minor 13th (enharmonically equivalent to B Minor 13th) has 2 sharps.

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.

FCGDAEB

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of C♭ Minor

These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the C♭ minor scale:

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
iB Minor (minor)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1iB MinorMinor
2ii°D♭ DiminishedDiminished
3IIID MajorMajor
4ivE MinorMinor
5vG♭ MinorMinor
6VIG MajorMajor
7VIIA MajorMajor

Theory: Intervals

Formula: R-m3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13
Intervals: P1-m3-P5-m7-M9-P11-M13

The C♭ Minor 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.

C♭ Minor 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Cb Minor 13th chord?
Enharmonic equivalent of Bm13. Same notes: Cb/B, Ebb/D, Bbb/A, Db/C#, Ab/G#.
How does Cbm13 differ from Cb13?
Cbm13 has minor third. Cb13 has major third.
How is Cbm13 used in music?
Enharmonic of Bm13. Musicians use Bm13 in practice.
What songs use Minor 13th chords?
Modal jazz, neo-soul. Sound identical regardless of spelling.
How does Cbm13 differ from Cbm11?
Adds the thirteenth for brightness.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — practical voicing drops fifth and eleventh.

Practice Tips

  • Cbm13 and Bm13 are enharmonic.
  • Translate to Bm13 for easier reading.
  • Keyboard notes identical.
  • Understanding both spellings builds fluency.
  • The thirteenth brightens the dark minor.
  • Drop fifth and eleventh.

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.