C thirteenth (C13) chord on guitar

The C thirteenth chord (C13) is a thirteenth chord (a dominant ninth plus a major thirteenth), made of six notes: C – E – G – B♭ – D – A.

Dots show:

A shape, fret 3medium

Position 6medium

E shape, fret 8hard

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

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the C13 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 C13 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

A shape, fret 3, barre at fret 3

String 1 (e): fret 5, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 5, ring finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, index finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 3; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 6

String 1 (e): fret 6, index finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 8, little finger (G4)
String 3 (G): fret 7, middle finger (D4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, middle finger (A3)
String 5 (A): fret 7, middle finger (E3)
String 6 (E): fret 8, ring finger (C3)

E shape, fret 8, barre at fret 8

String 1 (e): fret 8, index finger (C5)
String 2 (B): fret 10, little finger (A4)
String 3 (G): fret 9, middle finger (E4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 10, ring finger (G3)
String 6 (E): fret 8, index finger (C3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 8; your other fingers press the higher frets.

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing C13 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a C13 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 3
shape: A13

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The C13 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 C13 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F♯7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Edim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
C7 – a simpler dominant
C7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
F – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

C9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
C7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
C6 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Cadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C13 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 C13 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “A shape, fret 3”. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a A13 shape at fret 3.

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 C13 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 C13 chord written?

The chord symbol is C13, and its full name is C thirteenth.