F7♭13
Character: bittersweet
- FRtriad
- A3triad
- C5triad
- E♭♭7add
- G9left out
- B♭11left out
- D♭♭13add
9 ways to play F7♭13
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 8 7 6 4 xNotes F A D♭ E♭Intervals 1 3 ♭13 ♭7Base triadF major, root position
The ♭7th gets a string of its own. The ♭13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 7 8 6 9Notes A E♭ F D♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1 ♭13Base triadF major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string. The ♭13th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 6 7 6 6 xNotes E♭ A D♭ FIntervals ♭7 3 ♭13 1Base triadF major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own. The ♭13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 11 10 10 11Notes D♭ F A E♭Intervals ♭13 1 3 ♭7Base triadF major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own. The ♭13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 8 10 8 10 9Notes F C E♭ A D♭Intervals 1 5 ♭7 3 ♭13Base triadF major, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string. The ♭13th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 12 13 10 14 xNotes A E♭ F D♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1 ♭13Base triadF major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string. The ♭13th gets a string of its own.
Frets 11 12 11 10 x xNotes E♭ A D♭ FIntervals ♭7 3 ♭13 1Base triadF major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own. The ♭13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 1 2 2 1Notes E♭ A D♭ FIntervals ♭7 3 ♭13 1Base triadF major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own. The ♭13th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 1 3 1 2 2 xNotes F C E♭ A D♭Intervals 1 5 ♭7 3 ♭13Base triadF major, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string. The ♭13th gets a string of its own.
The construction rules F7♭13 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
Keep stacking for extensions
The 9th, 11th and 13th are the 2nd, 4th and 6th an octave up. Each one sits on the stack below it: a 9th chord holds a 7th, a 13th holds the 9th and 11th in theory.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
Drop what adds least
A guitar chord has four to six notes. When the formula holds more, the 5th and then the 9th go first: the root, 3rd, 7th and top extension still say exactly what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
Alter a dominant for tension
Raise or lower the 5th or the 9th, or add a ♯11 or ♭13, and a dominant 7th pulls harder towards the next chord: G7♯9, G7♭9, G7♭13.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Dominant 7th ♭13 in every key
More chords on F
F7♭13 chord questions
What notes are in F7♭13?
F7♭13 is spelled F A C E♭ G B♭ D♭: F is the root, A is the 3rd, C is the 5th, E♭ is the ♭7th, G is the 9th, B♭ is the 11th, D♭ is the ♭13th.
What is the formula of F7♭13?
1 3 5 ♭7 (9) (11) ♭13. It is a F major triad with the ♭7th, 9th, 11th, ♭13th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play F7♭13 on guitar?
This page shows 9 voicings of F7♭13, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.
Which notes of F7♭13 can you leave out on guitar?
The 9th and 11th. A guitar chord has four to six notes, so the notes that add the least go first, and the root, the 3rd, the 7th and the top extension still say exactly what the chord is.