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C 13b9 (C13b9)

Download MIDI
1+3+5+b7+b9+13
CEGABbDb
4 4

Notes in C 13b9

C (root)EGBbDbA

Inversions

Same notes as C 13b9, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

C in the bass

CEGABbDb

1st inversion

E in the bass (C13b9/E)

EGACBbDb

2nd inversion

G in the bass (C13b9/G)

GACEBbDb

3rd inversion

Bb in the bass (C13b9/Bb)

ACEGBbDb

4th inversion

Db in the bass (C13b9/Db)

ACEGDbBb

5th inversion

A in the bass (C13b9/A)

ACEGBbDb

Open voicings

A close-position chord like C 13b9 can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

C on the bottom

CEGADbBb

Drop 3

Bb on the bottom

CEGABbDb

Play C, E, G, Bb, Db and A together and you get C 13b9.

A dominant thirteenth with a flattened ninth. The b9 adds real bite and urgency, which makes the eventual resolution feel stronger. It is at home in jazz turnarounds and in flamenco tinged progressions where the dominant needs extra drama.

Related chords

C7b9C7b13C13

Difficulty: Advanced. Category: Extended chords. Click any highlighted key on the diagram above, or tab to it and press Enter, to hear that single note. Inversions mark the bass note with a contrasting outline.