C#m13 Chord on Guitar: How To Play the C# Minor Thirteen chord
A C#m13 chord (C# minor thirteenth) is built from C#, E, G#, B, D#, F# and A#. If you know C#m11, the only new note is the thirteenth, A#, which is the same as the major sixth an octave up. Each note of the chord sits a third above the one before it.
Taken together the seven notes are the C# Dorian scale stacked in thirds, and the extensions D#, F# and A# are the ninth, eleventh and thirteenth. The family behind this chord is described in the article on ninth chords, which is the first step of the stack.
C# minor 13th guitar chord is also written as C#m13, C#min13 or C#-13.
C# m13 chord Notes:
How the Minor Thirteen chord is built:
Formula: 1 b3 5 b7 9 11 13
C# M13 Chord Interactive Fretboard
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the notes of C#m13?
C#m13 is C#, E, G#, B, D#, F# and A#. The D# is the ninth, F# the eleventh and A# the thirteenth.
What does the 13 mean in C#m13?
The 13 is A#, a major sixth up from C#, counted an octave higher. It is the sixth degree of C# Dorian, a major sixth rather than the minor sixth of natural minor.
Do C#m13 and Dbm13 sound the same?
Yes, they are two spellings of one chord. Dbm13 is written Db, Fb, Ab, Cb, Eb, Gb and Bb, so C#m13 is the version with sharps.
Which scale holds all seven notes of C# minor thirteenth?
C# Dorian: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B. The chord uses each of its seven notes once.
How is C#m13 different from C#m11?
C#m11 has six notes: C#, E, G#, B, D# and F#. C#m13 adds A#, the thirteenth, to complete all seven notes of the scale.
