A Minor Thirteen Guitar Chord Charts & Variations
The Am13 chord, A minor thirteenth, contains A, C, E, G, B, D and F#. It follows the pattern of every minor thirteenth: a minor seventh chord plus the ninth (B), the eleventh (D) and the thirteenth (F#).
The F# is what stands out. In A natural minor the sixth degree would be F, so the F# is the sign that this chord is Dorian in colour. Moving to or from it is easier with smoother chord changes, and the A Dorian scale contains all seven notes. The ninth, eleventh and thirteenth are the same notes as the second, fourth and sixth degrees of the scale.
A minor 13th guitar chord is also written as Am13, Amin13 or A-13.
A m13 chord Notes:
How to create the Minor Thirteen chord:
Formula: 1 b3 5 b7 9 11 13
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes are in Am13?
Am13 is A, C, E, G, B, D and F#. Only the thirteenth, F#, carries an accidental, and the other six notes are natural.
Why is the thirteenth in A minor thirteenth F# and not F?
A major sixth up from A is F#, nine semitones away. F natural would be a minor sixth, which belongs to natural minor. The F# is what matches A Dorian.
How does Am13 differ from Am11?
Am11 has six notes: A, C, E, G, B and D. Am13 adds F#, so all seven notes of the A Dorian scale are present.
Which scale contains every note of Am13?
A Dorian: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G. The chord stacks all seven of its notes in thirds.
What are the 9, 11 and 13 in Am13?
They are B, D and F#. These are the second, fourth and sixth degrees of the scale, counted an octave higher than the root A.
