Piano · Level 8 · Advanced
Dominant thirteenth chords in A♭ major on Piano
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A dominant thirteenth adds the sixth on top of a seventh chord. It is the polished V chord of big-band and soul arrangements.
B♭m9
Notes: B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭ · C
E♭13
Notes: E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭ · F · C
A♭maj9
Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · G · B♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: B♭m9, E♭13 and A♭maj9. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Keep the right hand curved over the keys and move it as one unit between chords.
- Set the tempo to 69 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Keep the third and seventh in the voicing; they define the chord.
- Play the left-hand bass note on beat one and the right-hand chord on every beat.
- Raise the tempo to 92 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for the thirteenth sitting above the seventh like a melody note.
Listen for
Aim for the thirteenth sitting above the seventh like a melody note. A common mistake is leaving out the seventh, which turns the chord into a plain sixth.
Why it works
The eleventh is normally omitted from a dominant thirteenth because it clashes with the major third.
A♭ major has 4 flats; its relative minor key is F minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii9–V13–Imaj9 in A♭ major?
In A♭ major the progression is B♭m9 | E♭13 | A♭maj9 | A♭maj9.
What is the key signature of A♭ major?
A♭ major has 4 flats. Its relative minor is F minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 8 lesson (advanced). If it feels too hard, start with “The backdoor progression”.
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