Skip to content

E♭ Minor 13th

Also Known As
What are Enharmonics?E♭ / D♯ Equivalent

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

E♭m13
E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – C
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 E♭ Minor 13th chord is a seven-note chord made up of E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭, F, A♭, and C. It is built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major ninth, perfect eleventh, and major thirteenth.

The Eb Minor 13th piano chord (Ebm13) consists of the notes Eb, Gb, Bb, Db, F, Ab, C. 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:E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭ – C

Key Signature

The key of Eb Minor 13th has 6 flats.

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.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of Eb Minor

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

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
i — E♭ Minor (minor)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1iEb MinorMinor
2ii°F DiminishedDiminished
3IIIGb MajorMajor
4ivAb MinorMinor
5vBb MinorMinor
6VIB MajorMajor
7VIIDb MajorMajor

Theory: Intervals

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

The E♭ 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.

E♭ Minor 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Eb Minor 13th chord?
Practical voicing: Eb–Gb–Db–F–C.
How does Ebm13 differ from Eb13?
Ebm13 has minor third (Gb). Eb13 has major third (G).
How is Ebm13 used in music?
Richest ii chord in Db Major. Jazz, R&B, neo-soul.
How does Ebm13 differ from Ebm11?
Adds the thirteenth (C) for brightness.
What songs use Minor 13th chords?
Modal jazz, neo-soul, film scoring.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — Eb–Gb–Db–F–C.

Practice Tips

  • Practical voicing: Eb–Gb–Db–F–C.
  • Ebm13 as ii in Db Major — a favourite R&B key.
  • The thirteenth (C) brightens the dark chord.
  • Practice Ebm13 → Ab13 → Dbmaj13.
  • Rootless: Gb–Db–F–C.
  • Beautiful in neo-soul ballads.

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.