How to play B7b13: a dominant 7th flat 13 built on B, with 1 voicing, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.
The first diagram is a common voicing: played at the first few frets. An X above a string means don't play it; an O means play it open.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 2 1 2 2 3 (x = not played).
| Note | B | D# | A | G | C# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b7 | b13 | 9 |
B7b13 is a dominant 7th flat 13 with B as its root. The full theoretical spelling is B, D#, F#, A, C#, E, G. This voicing omits the 5th and 11th, the tones guitarists drop first when fitting a chord onto six strings. A note on 13th chords: the root, 3rd, 7th, and 13th are generally considered sufficient in practice, although the technical definition spells the 9th and 11th as part of the chord too.
B7b13 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.
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B7b13 is spelled B, D#, F#, A, C#, E, G: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, 9th, 11th, flat 13th. The common guitar voicing sounds B, D#, A, G, C#, leaving out the 5th and 11th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 2 1 2 2 3 (x means the string is not played). Fret the D string at the 1st fret. Add the A, G and B strings at the 2nd fret. Add the high E string at the 3rd fret. Strum from the A string down; the low E string stays silent.
B7b13 is not a diatonic chord in any major or minor key: it turns up as a borrowed chord, a passing chord or an altered dominant, which is part of its color.
