A thirteenth (A13) chord on banjo

The A thirteenth chord (A13) is a thirteenth chord (a dominant ninth plus a major thirteenth), made of six notes: A – C♯ – E – G – B – F♯.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 5medium

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What the A13 chord sounds like

A thirteenth chord is a dominant seventh with an added major thirteenth (the sixth an octave up). On an instrument the fifth and often the ninth are dropped, and the eleventh is left out. A classic jazz and blues dominant.

Notes of the A13 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A	root
3	C♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	E	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	G	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	B	major second (2 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
13	F♯	major sixth (9 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 2

String 1 (D): fret 5, little finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, index finger (C♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, ring finger (F♯3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 2; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 5

String 1 (D): fret 5, index finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, little finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, middle finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, ring finger (A3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A13 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

D major: V13 (dominant)
B minor: VII13

Similar chords and substitutes

If A13 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E♭7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
C♯dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
A7 – a simpler dominant
A7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
D – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

A9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
A7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A6 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Aadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A13 chord?

A, C♯, E, G, B, F♯. The root is A; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major second, major sixth.

What is the easiest way to play A13 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 2 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some A13 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 6-note chord. The fifth (E) and ninth (B) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without them.

How is the A13 chord written?

The chord symbol is A13, and its full name is A thirteenth.