Thirteenth.html



In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord.

A thirteenth is a compound sixth (an octave plus a sixth) and is most commonly major Play (help·info) or minor Play (help·info).

Thirteenth chord Play (help·info) (C E G B D F A)

A thirteenth chord is a tertian chord containing the interval of a thirteenth, and is an extended chord if it includes the ninth and the eleventh. A chord containing the interval of a thirteenth without the intervals of the ninth and eleventh are often called sixth chords. In the dominant thirteenth chord play (help·info) (C E G B♭ D F A) the eleventh is usually omitted.

In modern pop/jazz harmony, a thirteenth chord (usually notated as 13, e.g. C13) contains an implied flatted seventh interval. Thus, a C13 consists of C E G B♭ and A. The underlying harmony during a thirteenth chord is usually Mixolydian or Lydian Dominant. A thirteenth chord does not imply the quality of the ninth or eleventh scale degrees. In general, what gives a thirteenth chord its characteristic sound is the dissonance between the dominant seventh and the thirteenth.

In rare cases, the seventh of such a chord may retain its diatonic (and therefore non-lowered) pitch, but when this is the case, the thirteenth chord will nearly always feature a chromatically raised eleventh (C E G B D F♯ A).

See also

• Upper structure triad
• Jazz chord

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