F thirteenth (F13) chord on piano

Looking for the F13 chord on piano? It is a thirteenth chord (a dominant ninth plus a major thirteenth), made of six notes: F – A – C – E♭ – G – D.

Full chord: F4 – A4 – C5 – E♭5 – G5 – D6

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What the F13 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 F13 chord

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

F4 – A4 – C5 – E♭5 – G5 – D6

Two-hand voicing

F3 – A4 – E♭5 – G5 – D6

Which keys is it in?

The F13 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B♭ major: V13 (dominant)
G minor: VII13

Similar chords and substitutes

If F13 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

B7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Adim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
F7 – a simpler dominant
F7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
B♭ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

F9 – all 5 of its notes are in this chord
F7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
F6 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Fadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F13 chord?

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

How do I play the F13 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.

How is the F13 chord written?

The chord symbol is F13, and its full name is F thirteenth.