C♯ thirteenth (C♯13) chord on banjo

Looking for the C♯13 chord on banjo? It is a thirteenth chord (a dominant ninth plus a major thirteenth), made of six notes: C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B – D♯ – A♯. The same chord with a different spelling: D♭ thirteenth (D♭13).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 9medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the C♯13 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 C♯13 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 6

String 1 (D): fret 9, little finger (B4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, index finger (E♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, index finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, ring finger (A♯3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 6; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 9

String 1 (D): fret 9, index finger (B4)
String 2 (B): fret 11, little finger (A♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 10, middle finger (E♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 11, ring finger (C♯4)

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 C♯13 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F♯ major: V13 (dominant)
D♯ minor: VII13

Similar chords and substitutes

If C♯13 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

G7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Fdim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
C♯7 – a simpler dominant
C♯7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
F♯ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

C♯9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
C♯7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
C♯6 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
C♯add9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯13 chord?

C♯, E♯, G♯, B, D♯, A♯. The root is C♯; 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 C♯13 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 C♯13 shapes?

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

How is the C♯13 chord written?

The chord symbol is C♯13 (also written C#13), and its full name is C♯ thirteenth.