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F Minor 13th

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

The F Minor 13th chord (Fm13) contains the notes F, A♭, C, E♭, G, B♭, and D. 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

F · Ab · C · Eb · G · Bb · D
Maintained by Justin Evans, a pianist of 25 years
Maintained for accuracy · Last updated July 2026 · How we review
Flashcards · Chord
Three questions on F Minor 13th
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Fm13

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

Construction

F Minor 13th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th + Major 2nd + Perfect 4th + Major 6th = F · A♭ · C · E♭ · G · B♭ · D
NoteIntervalDegree
FRoot1
A♭Minor 3rd♭3
CPerfect 5th5
E♭Minor 7th♭7
GMajor 2nd9
B♭Perfect 4th11
DMajor 6th13

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the F Minor 13th is the tonic (i) chord of F Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, Ab Major — 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).

B♭E♭A♭D♭

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 F Minor

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

C1C2C3C4FCC6C7C8G#
i — F Minor (minor)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1iF MinorMinor
2ii°G DiminishedDiminished
3IIIG♯ MajorMajor
4ivA♯ MinorMinor
5vC MinorMinor
6VIC♯ MajorMajor
7VIID♯ MajorMajor

Same Notes, Other Names

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

F Minor 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the F Minor 13th chord on piano?
The F Minor 13th chord contains the notes F – A♭ – C – E♭ – G – B♭ – D. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the F Minor 13th chord?
Practical voicing: F–Ab–Eb–G–D.
How does Fm13 differ from F13?
Fm13 has minor third (Ab). F13 has major third (A).
How is Fm13 used in music?
Richest ii in Eb Major, iv in C minor. Jazz, gospel, neo-soul.
How does Fm13 differ from Fm11?
Adds the thirteenth (D) for brightness.
What songs use Minor 13th chords?
Modal jazz, neo-soul, gospel.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — F–Ab–Eb–G–D.

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

    Goetschius, Percy(1889)

    The Material Used in Musical Composition

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Riemann, Hugo(1896)

    Harmony Simplified (English translation)

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    J. S. Bach(1723)

    Two-Part Invention in F major, BWV 779

    Public domain score
  4. 4

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