B♭13 Chord on Guitar

B♭13 is the B♭ dominant 13th chord — 6 notes (B♭, D, F, A♭, C, G) built from the formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9 13. Below are playable shapes across the fretboard, the keys it belongs to and the scales to use when soloing over it.

Notes: B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C · GFormula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 · 13Hear it and see it on the fretboard ▸

B♭13: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • B♭13 – open position×R3♭7913open position
  • B♭13 – fret 1×R5♭7313fret 1
  • B♭13 – fret 33R9♭7R313fret 3
  • B♭13 – fret 55R3♭7913×fret 5
  • B♭13 – fret 66R5♭7313Rfret 6
  • B♭13 – fret 1313×R5♭7313fret 13

B♭13: Shell voicings (jazz)

  • B♭13 – R-3-75R3♭7×××R-3-7
  • B♭13 – R-3-712×R3♭7××R-3-7
  • B♭13 – R-7-36R×♭73××R-7-3
  • B♭13 – R-7-3×R×♭73×R-7-3

Keys that contain B♭13

Scales to play over B♭13

Ordered from the most common choice. All of them contain B♭, D, F, A♭, C, G.

Other B♭ chords

Dominant 13th chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the B♭13 chord?
B♭13 (B♭ dominant 13th) contains B♭, D, F, A♭, C, G — formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9 13.
How do you play B♭13 on guitar?
A common shape is x10113 (low E to high E, x = muted string, open position). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with B♭13?
Good choices to solo over B♭13: B♭ Mixolydian, B♭ Lydian dominant.
What key is B♭13 in?
B♭13 is diatonic in E♭ major (V13), C minor (♭VII13).