Thirteenth

In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major {{#if:Major thirteenth on F.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Major thirteenth on F.mid|<phonos file="Major thirteenth on F.mid">Play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Major thirteenth on F.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}} or minor {{#if:Minor thirteenth on F.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Minor thirteenth on F.mid|<phonos file="Minor thirteenth on F.mid">Play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Minor thirteenth on F.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}.

A thirteenth chord is the stacking of six (major or minor) thirds, the last being above the 11th of an eleventh chord.Template:Sfn Thus a thirteenth chord is a tertian (built from thirds) chord containing the interval of a thirteenth, and is an extended chord if it includes the ninth and/or the eleventh. "The jazzy thirteenth is a very versatile chord and is used in many genres."Template:Sfn Since 13th chords tend to become unclear or confused with other chords when inverted, they are generally found in root position.Template:Sfn For example, depending on voicing, a major triad with an added major sixth is usually called a sixth chord {{#if:Add6 chord on C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Add6 chord on C.mid|<phonos file="Add6 chord on C.mid">Play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Add6 chord on C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}, because the sixth serves as a substitution for the major seventh, thus considered a chord tone in such context.

However, Walter Piston, writing in 1952, considered that, "a true thirteenth chord, arrived at by superposition of thirds, is a rare phenomenon even in 20th-century music."<ref name="Piston">Template:Cite journal</ref> This may be due to four-part writing, instrument limitations, and voice leading and stylistic considerations. For example, "to make the chord more playable [on guitar], thirteenth chords often omit the fifth and the ninth."Template:Sfn

Dominant thirteenth

Most commonly, 13th chords serve a dominant function (V¹³),Template:Sfn whether they have the exact intervals of a dominant thirteenth or not. Typically, a dominant chord anticipating a major resolution will feature a natural 13, while a dominant chord anticipating a minor resolution will feature a flat 13.Template:Sfn Since thirteenth chords contain more than four notes, in four-voice writing the root, third, seventh, and thirteenth are most often included,Template:Sfn excluding the fifth, ninth, and eleventh {{#if:Dominant thirteenth chord on C four voices.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Dominant thirteenth chord on C four voices.mid|<phonos file="Dominant thirteenth chord on C four voices.mid">Play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Dominant thirteenth chord on C four voices.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}. The third indicates the quality of the chord as major or minor, the seventh is important for the quality as a dominant chord, while the thirteenth is necessary in a thirteenth chord.

File:Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun dominant thirteenth chord.png

Audio file "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun dominant thirteenth chord.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

In modern pop and jazz harmony, after the dominant thirteenth, a thirteenth chord (usually notated as X¹³, e.g. C¹³) contains an implied flatted seventh interval. Thus, a C¹³ consists of C, E, G, BTemplate:Music, and A. The underlying harmony during a thirteenth chord is usually Mixolydian or Lydian dominant (see chord-scale system). A thirteenth chord does not imply the quality of the ninth or eleventh scale degrees. In general, what gives a thirteenth chord its characteristic sound is the dissonance between the flat seventh and the thirteenth, an interval of a major seventh.

In the common practice period the "most common" pitches present in V¹³ chord are the root, 3rd, 7th, and 13th; with the 5th, 9th, and 11th "typically omitted".Template:Sfn The 13th is most often in the soprano, or highest voice, and usually resolves down by a 3rd to the tonic I or i. If the V¹³ is followed by a I⁹ the 13th may resolve to the 9th.Template:Sfn

Other thirteenth chords

File:13chords.png

Thirteenth chords and major thirteenth chords with sheet music.

These voice leading guidelines may not be followed after the common practice period in techniques such as parallel harmony and in the following example:

File:All Points West 'Railroad sonority'.png

Audio file "All Points West 'Railroad sonority'.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

13th chords may less often be built on degrees other than the dominant, such as the tonic or subdominant.Template:Sfn

File:I Found a New Baby 13th chord.png

Audio file "I Found a New Baby 13th chord.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

While the dominant thirteenth is the most common thirteenth chord, the major thirteenth is also fairly common.<ref name="Picture chord">Hal Leonard Corp. (2003). Picture Chord Encyclopedia: Photos, Diagrams and Music Notation for Over 1,600 Keyboard Chords, p.10. Template:ISBN.</ref> A major thirteenth chord (containing a major seventh) will nearly always feature a chromatically raised eleventh (C E G B D FTemplate:Music A) (see Lydian mode), except for cases when the eleventh is omitted altogether. "It is customary to omit the eleventh on dominant or major thirteenth chords because the eleventh conflicts with the third,"<ref name="Picture chord"/> in these chords by a semitone.

File:Noreen's Nocturne.png

Audio file "Noreen's Nocturne.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

Inversions

File:Thirteenth chord inversions.png

Audio file "Thirteenth chord inversions.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}). Eventually seven chords along a ladder of thirds.

Generally found in root position,Template:Sfn the inversion of a complete thirteenth chord including all seven notes, itself, "a rare phenomenon",<ref name="Piston"/> is a theoretical impossibility since a new thirteenth chord with a different root is produced, for example Cmaj¹³ (C-E-G-B-D-F-A) becomes Template:Disputed inline Em^{13Template:Music9} (E-G-B-D-F-A-C) then G¹³ (G-B-D-F-A-C-E), and so on, when inverted.Template:Sfn

Gallery

Given the number of notes that may be included, there are a great variety of thirteenth chords. The following chords are notated below lead sheet symbols:

• Thirteenth chord Cm13.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord Cm13.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13+11b9.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13+11b9.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord CMA7(add13).png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord CMA7(add13).mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord CMA13.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord CMA13.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord CMI7(add13).png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord CMI7(add13).mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13sus.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13sus.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord CMA13(sharp11).png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord CMA13(sharp11).mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13(b5).png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13(b5).mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13(b9).png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13(b9).mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13(sharp11).png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13(sharp11).mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13b9.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13b9.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13 guitar.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13 guitar.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord C13 guitar b.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord C13 guitar b.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Dominant thirteenth chord on C 4 voice 2.png

  Audio file "Dominant thirteenth chord on C 4 voice 2.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Thirteenth chord collapsed.png

  Audio file "Thirteenth chord collapsed.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

• Dominant thirteenth chord on C m13.png

  Audio file "Dominant thirteenth chord on C m13.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

File:Thirteenth chord Pelléas et Mélisande motif.png

Audio file "Thirteenth chord Pelléas et Mélisande motif.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

File:Music in Twelve Parts transitional thirteenth chord.png

Audio file "Music in Twelve Parts transitional thirteenth chord.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}

See also

• Jazz chord
• Harmonic planing
• Ladder of thirds
• Mystic chord

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book