Scale degrees · C major
The ♭13 of C is A♭
The ♭13 (flat thirteen, written b13) of C is A♭ (A flat): a minor thirteenth above the root.
C — the root, 1A♭ — the ♭13
How to find it
A 13th is a 6th an octave up, so it takes the 6th's letter: C, D, E, F, G, A.
Then the sound: a minor thirteenth is 20 semitones above C, and the A that is 20 semitones up is A♭.
That is why it is A♭ and not G♯: G♯ is the same key on the piano, but from C it would be a 12th, not a 13th.
Where you meet it
The ♭13 is an altered tension of the dominant chord, one of the notes of the altered scale.
In C7♭13:
C · E · G · B♭ · A♭
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 C
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