C Dominant 13th Chord
Symbol: C13
Diagrams
Staff Notation
Piano Keyboard
Guitar
Intervals
| Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|
| C | P1 | 0 |
| E | M3 | 4 |
| G | P5 | 7 |
| Bb | m7 | 10 |
| D | M9 | 2 |
| A | M13 | 9 |
About the C Dominant 13th Chord
The C Dominant 13th chord is built from the notes C, E, G, Bb, D, A. These notes are derived by stacking intervals above the root note C, following the interval pattern that defines every Dominant 13th chord. Understanding how a chord is constructed from intervals is one of the most valuable skills in music theory, because it allows you to build the chord in any key and recognize it in any context.
You can use this chord in a variety of musical contexts. Try exploring the scales that contain these notes to discover which keys this chord naturally belongs to. Each scale listed above shares all the notes of this chord, making it a diatonic chord within that key. Understanding these relationships helps with songwriting, improvisation, and arranging.