Scale degrees · B major
The 13 of B is G♯
The 13 (thirteen) of B is G♯ (G sharp): a major thirteenth above the root.
B — the root, 1G♯ — the 13
How to find it
A 13th is a 6th an octave up, so it takes the 6th's letter: B, C, D, E, F, G.
Then the sound: a major thirteenth is 21 semitones above B, and the G that is 21 semitones up is G♯.
That is why it is G♯ and not A♭: A♭ is the same key on the piano, but from B it would be a 14th, not a 13th.
Where you meet it
The 13 is the 6 an octave up: the top of a thirteenth chord, and of the classic dominant voicing with the 3 and the ♭7.
In B13:
B · D♯ · F♯ · A · C♯ · G♯
The 13 in every key
| Key | The 13 |
|---|---|
| C | A |
| G | E |
| D | B |
| A | F♯ |
| E | C♯ |
| B | G♯ |
| F♯ | D♯ |
| D♭ | B♭ |
| A♭ | F |
| E♭ | C |
| B♭ | G |
| F | D |
Every degree of B
Free on iPhone and Android
Name it before
you can count it.
Improvy trains every degree in all 12 keys — the 3, the ♭7, the ♯11 — until you see the note without working it out. A few minutes a day. Free to start; Pro is one payment, never a subscription.
Or try the 60-second test in your browser