About the B♭13 chord
The dominant thirteenth adds the thirteenth, the same note as the sixth, to a seventh chord. On guitar the fifth and ninth are usually left out. It is a big, warm jazz and blues chord. The symbol for it is B♭13. (also written A♯13)
How to play B♭13
- Put your index finger on the A string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the G string at fret 1.
- Put your ring finger on the B string at fret 3.
- Put your little finger on the high E string at fret 3.
- Strum and let the D string ring open, and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of B♭ major
These are the chords built on each note of the B♭ major scale, so they all sound good together with B♭13. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other B♭ chords
B♭13 chord questions
What notes are in a B♭13 chord?
B♭13 is made of B♭, D, F, A♭ and G. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 13 above the root, B♭.
What is the easiest way to play B♭13?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 1 0 1 3 3 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is B♭13 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.