B♭ thirteenth (B♭13) chord on piano

Thirteenth chord (a dominant ninth plus a major thirteenth) on B♭: the notes of the B♭13 chord are B♭ – D – F – A♭ – C – G. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ thirteenth (A♯13).

Full chord: B♭3 – D4 – F4 – A♭4 – C5 – G5

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What the B♭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 B♭13 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B♭	root
3	D	major third (4 semitones)
5	F	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	A♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	C	major second (2 semitones)
13	G	major sixth (9 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

B♭3 – D4 – F4 – A♭4 – C5 – G5

Two-hand voicing

B♭2 – D4 – A♭4 – C5 – G5

Which keys is it in?

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

E♭ major: V13 (dominant)
C minor: VII13

Similar chords and substitutes

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

Substitutes (by function)

E7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Ddim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
B♭7 – a simpler dominant
B♭7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
E♭ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

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

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭13 chord?

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

How do I play the B♭13 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth, thirteenth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 6 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.