A♭ thirteenth (A♭13) chord on mandolin

The A♭ thirteenth chord (A♭13) is a thirteenth chord (a dominant ninth plus a major thirteenth), made of six notes: A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – F. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ thirteenth (G♯13).

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Basic shapemedium

Position 4medium

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What the A♭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 A♭13 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

String 1 (E): fret 2, middle finger (G♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 3, little finger (C5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, ring finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)

Position 4

String 1 (E): fret 4, middle finger (A♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 8, little finger (F5)
String 3 (D): fret 4, index finger (G♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 5, ring finger (C4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A♭13 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 A♭13 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

D7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Cdim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
A♭7 – a simpler dominant
A♭7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
C♯ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

A♭9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
A♭7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A♭6 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A♭add9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭13 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 A♭13 on mandolin?

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 A♭13 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 A♭13 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭13 (also written Ab13), and its full name is A♭ thirteenth.