Ab13(#5) Guitar Chord | How to Play The Ab Dominant Thirteen Sharp Fifth Chord
Searching for plain A13(#5), without the flat? It has its own page: A13(#5).
Ab thirteenth sharp five (written Ab13#5) takes its name from its interval stack, the root, major third, raised fifth, minor seventh, ninth, natural eleventh and thirteenth, which gives the notes Ab, C, E, Gb, Bb, Db and F.
The E is the raised fifth: it stands where the natural fifth Eb would be, so the base of the chord is the augmented seventh Ab, C, E, Gb. See jazz chord progressions for the places where chords like this one tend to turn up.
The raised fifth, the thirteenth and the minor seventh, E, F and Gb, sit on consecutive semitones.
Ab 13th with sharp 5th guitar chord is also written as Ab13(#5), Ab13#5 or Ab13+5.
Ab13#5 Chord Notes and Formula
Notes that compose the Ab 13(#5) chord:
Chord formula for the Dominant Thirteen Sharp Fifth chord:
Formula: 1 3 #5 b7 9 11 13
Same chord, different name: Ab13#5 is also written as G#13#5 (G# thirteenth sharp five).
Ab13#5 Chord Interactive Fretboard
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Ab13#5 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Barre Movable
Ab Thirteenth Sharp Five Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the low E, D and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 6 of the B string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the A string
Position 2 Barre Movable Slash Chord
Ab/F Thirteenth Sharp Five Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the low E, A, G and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 2 of the high E string
The lowest note is F, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord Ab13#5/F.
Position 3 Barre Movable Slash Chord
Ab/Gb Thirteenth Sharp Five Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the A and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the high E string
The lowest note is Gb, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord Ab13#5/Gb.
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More Ab Chords
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the notes in Ab13#5?
Ab13#5 is spelled Ab, C, E, Gb, Bb, Db and F. That is the root, major third, sharp fifth, minor seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth.
What is the enharmonic spelling of Ab13#5?
It is G#13#5, spelled G#, B#, D##, F#, A#, C# and E#. Both names sound alike, but the flat version has no double sharps.
Why is the sharp fifth of Ab13#5 a natural E?
The perfect fifth over Ab is Eb. Raising it by a half step gives E natural, so the sharp fifth needs no accidental sign.
What does the 13 in Ab13#5 add?
The 13 is F, a major sixth from Ab placed an octave higher. It comes with the minor seventh, Gb, the ninth, Bb, and the eleventh, Db.
