How to play C7b13: a dominant 7th flat 13 built on C, 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 3 2 3 3 4 (x = not played).
| Note | C | E | Bb | Ab | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | 3 | b7 | b13 | 9 |
C7b13 is a dominant 7th flat 13 with C as its root. The full theoretical spelling is C, E, G, Bb, D, F, Ab. 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.
C7b13 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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C7b13 is spelled C, E, G, Bb, D, F, Ab: the root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, 9th, 11th, flat 13th. The common guitar voicing sounds C, E, Bb, Ab, D, leaving out the 5th and 11th.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: x 3 2 3 3 4 (x means the string is not played). Fret the D string at the 2nd fret. Add the A, G and B strings at the 3rd fret. Add the high E string at the 4th fret. Strum from the A string down; the low E string stays silent.
C7b13 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.
