How to play Bb7b13: a dominant 7th flat 13 built on Bb, with 3 ways to play it, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.
The first diagram is a common voicing: an open-position shape using 1 open string, played near the nut. 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 1 0 1 1 2 (x = not played).
| Note | Bb | D | Ab | Gb | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b7 | b13 | 9 |
Bb7b13 is a dominant 7th flat 13 with Bb as its root. The full theoretical spelling is Bb, D, F, Ab, C, Eb, Gb. 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.
Bb7b13 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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Bb7b13 is spelled Bb, D, F, Ab, C, Eb, Gb: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, 9th, 11th, flat 13th. The common guitar voicing sounds Bb, D, Ab, Gb, C, leaving out the 5th and 11th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 1 0 1 1 2 (x means the string is not played). Fret the A, G and B strings at the 1st fret. Add the high E string at the 2nd fret. The D string rings open. Strum from the A string down; the low E string stays silent.
Bb7b13 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.
