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Another One of the Most Exciting
Chord Types You'll Ever Learn...
Today
we're going to learn to form a 13th chord. It's just like
the 11th chord, except you move your little finger up from
the 5th of the chord to the 13th -- same as the 6th, except
the chord includes the 7th, 9th, and 11th.
So:
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An
13th Chord = Get
your chord in 2nd inversion,
add the 7th and 9th and 11th,
then bring your little finger up a whole step
-- from the 5th to the 13th (same as the 6th).
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CHORD
SYMBOL DEFINITION
Even
though C13 chord has the quality of a polychord (BbMA7/CMA),
it is rarely spelled as a polychord in chord symbols.
In jazz practice, the 13th chord is usually played
as a four-note chord, omitting the 5th, 9th and 11th
(e.g, C13 = C (root) + Bb - E - A) or as a five-note
chord, omitting the 5th and 11th (e.g. C13= C(root)
+ Bb-D-E-A).
C13
Source:
How to Play Chord Symbols in Jazz and Popular Music,
by Lee Evans and Martha Baker
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PSR-2000 Note: The PSR-2000
will recognize three notes as the 13th: the 3 -6
- 7b (E - A - Bb for C13). It will also recognize
1 - 3 - (5) - 6 - 7b as the 13th (the 5th may be omitted).
A simple way to remember this is to play the 7th chord
in the 2nd inversion and then add the 6 note. For
C13, play G - Bb - C - E and then add the "A" resulting
in G - A - Bb - C - E. You can drop the G if you
want. The 3-note, 4-note, or 5-note variations shown
here will be recognized as C13 in all their inversions.
- Joe Waters
Here's
what 13th chords look like on the staff:
(Remember
that accidentals carry over in each measure!)
"The
lowest note in each case is the root of the chord -- even
though I have shown them above directly under the chord,
be sure to play that note before you play the chord,
and use your sustain pedal to "hook the two parts together."
And
here's what they look like on the staff when played with
the left hand:
Now
- go through all 12 major chords, inverting every one. Then
go through all the 12 minor chords, inverting each one up
and down the keyboard -- hands alone, then hands together.
Then go through all 12 diminished chords, inverting each
one up and down the keyboard -- each hand alone, then together.
Then play the 12 augmented chords, up and down the keyboard.
Then skip around from major to minor to diminished to augmented,
etc. Then
add minor 6th chords to your rehearsal schedule. And then
add 7th chords and their inversions; then major 7th chords;
then 9th chords, and now, 11th chords.
Do
you feel like you're getting a handle on chords yet? You
ought to -- I know we're going slowly, but chords are SO
important that you absolutely MUST master them if you are
ever going to play the piano like you hope to!
So here's our revised chord scorecard:
12
major chords
with 3 inversions and
12 minor chords
with 3 inversions and
12 diminished chords
with 3 inversions and
12 augmented chords
with 3 inversions and
12 major 6th chords
with 4 inversions and
12 minor 6th chords
with 4 inversions and
12 7th chords
with 4 inversions and
12 Maj7 Chords
with 4 inversions and |
12
minor 7th Chords
with 4 inversions and a
dozen 9th chords
with 4 inversions and a
dozen 11th chords
with 4 inversions, and now a
dozen 13th chords
with 4 inversions
which means you can now play
528
chords!
And there are 7 octaves on a full piano
keyboard!
Wow!
Are you a genius, or what?
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* Since the left hand plays the root and then holds that with
sustain as it plays four more notes, I am only counting 4
inversions for this chord.
Next
week we will investigate diminished 7th chords. So be sure
to master 13ths before next week.
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