B flat seventh flat thirteen (Bb7(b13)) chord on guitar
- Notes
- B♭DFA♭G♭
- Formula
- 135♭7♭13
How to play Bb7(b13) on guitar
-
Shape 1 · fret 1 · barre
-
Shape 2 · fret 6 · barre
-
Shape 3 · fret 8
no 5th (F)
-
Shape 4 · fret 4
no 5th (F)
Some shapes leave out: 5th (F). The caption of each one says what is missing. The 5th is the first to go: it barely changes the sound of the chord.
Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (B flat). The same shapes work on acoustic, classical and electric guitar.
Bb7(b13) inversions on guitar
The same Bb7(b13) with another chord note in the bass (the lowest note that sounds). The notes stay the same, but the colour changes, and the bass line can move by step from one chord to the next. In a chord symbol, the bass comes after the slash.
3rd (D) in the bass1st inversion · Bb7(b13)/D
3rd (D) in the bass1st inversion · Bb7(b13)/D
5th (F) in the bass2nd inversion · Bb7(b13)/F
5th (F) in the bass2nd inversion · Bb7(b13)/F
7th (A♭) in the bass3rd inversion · Bb7(b13)/Ab
7th (A♭) in the bass3rd inversion · Bb7(b13)/Ab
About the seventh flat thirteen chord
A dominant chord with a flat thirteenth: the ♭13 brings in the colour of the minor key the dominant usually leads to (E7♭13 → Am). Widely used in choro, samba, bolero and jazz. Without the 5th it has the same notes as 7♯5; what changes is the spelling (♭13, not ♯5) and the role of the note, a tension above the 5th.
Notes and intervals of Bb7(b13)
Bb7(b13) (B flat seventh flat thirteen) is built from 5 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:
- B♭ · 1 · root
- D · 3 · major third
- F · 5 · perfect fifth
- A♭ · ♭7 · minor seventh
- G♭ · ♭13 · flat thirteenth
Other B flat chords
- Bb
- Bbm
- Bb7
- Bb7M
- Bbm7
- Bbm7(b5)
- Bb°
- Bb°7
- Bb+
- Bbsus2
- Bbsus4
- Bb7sus4
- Bb5
- Bbadd9
- Bb6
- Bbm6
- Bb9
- Bbm(add9)
- Bbm9
- Bb7M(9)
- Bbm(7M)
- Bb7M(#5)
- Bb7(b9)
- Bb6(9)
- Bbm6(9)
- Bb11
- Bbm11
- Bb13
- Bbm13
- Bb7(#9)
- Bb7(#11)
- Bb7(b13)
- Bb7(#5)
- Bb7M(#11)
- Bb9sus4
Seventh flat thirteen: other roots
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the Bb7(b13) chord on guitar?
Bb7(b13) (B flat seventh flat thirteen) has 4 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.
What notes are in Bb7(b13)?
The notes of Bb7(b13) are B♭, D, F, A♭, G♭. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♭13: root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, flat thirteenth.
What does Bb7(b13) mean?
Bb7(b13) is the chord symbol for B flat seventh flat thirteen. A dominant chord with a flat thirteenth: the ♭13 brings in the colour of the minor key the dominant usually leads to (E7♭13 → Am). Widely used in choro, samba, bolero and jazz. Without the 5th it has the same notes as 7♯5; what changes is the spelling (♭13, not ♯5) and the role of the note, a tension above the 5th.