C#m13 Chord on Guitar: How To Play the C# Minor Thirteen chord

A C#m13 chord (C# minor thirteenth) is built from C#, E, G#, B, D#, F# and A#. If you know C#m11, the only new note is the thirteenth, A#, which is the same as the major sixth an octave up. Each note of the chord sits a third above the one before it.

Taken together the seven notes are the C# Dorian scale stacked in thirds, and the extensions D#, F# and A# are the ninth, eleventh and thirteenth. The family behind this chord is described in the article on ninth chords, which is the first step of the stack.

C# minor 13th guitar chord is also written as C#m13, C#min13 or C#-13.

C#m13 Chord Notes and Formula

C# m13 chord Notes:

C# E G# B D# F# A#

How the Minor Thirteen chord is built:

Formula: 1 b3 5 b7 9 11 13

Same chord, different name: C#m13 is also written as Dbm13 (Db minor thirteenth).

C# M13 Chord Interactive Fretboard

Want a structured chord roadmap instead of jumping between pages?
Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

download this tutorial in pdf Download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Chords That Go With C#m13

One key where C#m13 fits is E major, where it works as the vi chord. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:

I · E ii · F#m iii · G#m IV · A V · B vi · C#m

See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.

More C# Chords

C# C#m C#7 C#m7 C#maj7 C#sus4 C#sus2 C#add9 C#dim C#9 C#m6/9 C#maj13 C#maj7#5 C#6

Want to know how this chord is built? Read chord symbols and intervals, or browse all C# guitar chords.

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C m13 | D m13 | E m13 | F m13 | G m13 | A m13 | B m13 | C#m13 | D#m13 | F#m13 | G#m13 | A#m13 | Abm13 | Bbm13 | Dbm13 | Ebm13 | Gbm13

Want to Learn Everything About Chords?

Check Chords Domination out: a unique ebook that shows you finger positions, note names and intervals in the chords (plus a tones fretboard maps)

You'll learn how to play 44 chords types across all the fretboard, with many voicings and fingerings

In the ebook you can also find maps show you the tones in a chord all along the fretboard. They are incredibly helpful because allow you to:

Create new voicings on the fly, across all the neck
Improvise targeting the right notes
Unlock the fretboard and expand the CAGED system.

In the new ebook, Chords Domination, you'll find the fretboard tones maps for 44 different qualities of chords. Check it out:

Download Free Excerpt Learn More Here

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What are the notes of C#m13?

C#m13 is C#, E, G#, B, D#, F# and A#. The D# is the ninth, F# the eleventh and A# the thirteenth.

What does the 13 mean in C#m13?

The 13 is A#, a major sixth up from C#, counted an octave higher. It is the sixth degree of C# Dorian, a major sixth rather than the minor sixth of natural minor.

Do C#m13 and Dbm13 sound the same?

Yes, they are two spellings of one chord. Dbm13 is written Db, Fb, Ab, Cb, Eb, Gb and Bb, so C#m13 is the version with sharps.

Which scale holds all seven notes of C# minor thirteenth?

C# Dorian: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B. The chord uses each of its seven notes once.

How is C#m13 different from C#m11?

C#m11 has six notes: C#, E, G#, B, D# and F#. C#m13 adds A#, the thirteenth, to complete all seven notes of the scale.