Scale degrees · G major
The ♭13 of G is E♭
The ♭13 (flat thirteen, written b13) of G is E♭ (E flat): a minor thirteenth above the root.
G — the root, 1E♭ — the ♭13
How to find it
A 13th is a 6th an octave up, so it takes the 6th's letter: G, A, B, C, D, E.
Then the sound: a minor thirteenth is 20 semitones above G, and the E that is 20 semitones up is E♭.
That is why it is E♭ and not D♯: D♯ is the same key on the piano, but from G 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 G7♭13:
G · B · D · F · E♭
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 G
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