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Guitar chords · Dominant 13th

E♭13 chord on guitar (Eb13)

E♭13 (E♭ 13th) has six notes: E♭, G, B♭, D♭, F and C, the , 3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 13.

Shapes

How to play E♭13

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

E♭13 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 6

    6fr××R♭7313E♭D♭GC
  • E shape · fret 11

    11fr××R♭7313E♭D♭GC
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes E♭13 dominant 13th

A 13th chord stacks the 13th (the 6th, an up) on a chord. Guitarists play the , 3rd, ♭7th and 13th: the 5th and 9th are optional, and the 11th is left out because it clashes with the 3rd. It is a rich dominant heard in jazz, blues and funk.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
  • 11Left out: players skip it because it clashes.

The 3rd, the ♭7th and the 13th make E♭13 a 13th chord; you can leave out the 5th and the 9th. The 11th is left out: it clashes with the 3rd.

  1. E♭Rroot
  2. G3essential
  3. B♭5optional
  4. D♭♭7essential
  5. F9optional
  6. C13essential
EADGBE0135791215E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭FGB♭CD♭FGB♭CD♭FGB♭CFGB♭CD♭FGB♭CD♭FGB♭CD♭FGB♭CD♭FGB♭CD♭FG
  • E♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

E♭13 usually resolves to A♭ or A♭m, the chord a 5th below: the V13–I move.

E♭13 and D♯13 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with E♭13

E♭13 belongs to two keys: A♭ major (V13) and F minor (VII13).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

E♭13 over another bass note

A keeps E♭13 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • E♭13/G

    E♭13 with its 3rd, G, in the bass.

  • E♭13/B♭

    E♭13 with its 5th, B♭, in the bass.

  • E♭13/D♭

    E♭13 with its ♭7th, D♭, in the bass.

Questions

E♭13, in short

What notes are in the E♭13 chord?
E♭13 (E♭ 13th) has six notes: E♭, G, B♭, D♭, F and C, the , 3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 13.
How do you play E♭13 on guitar?
E♭13 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11.
What key is E♭13 in?
E♭13 belongs to two keys: A♭ major (V13) and F minor (VII13).
Is E♭13 the same as D♯13?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. E♭13 is the spelling in A♭ major and F minor. No key on the circle spells it D♯13, so you will rarely see that name.
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