Lesson 49 · All 12 keys

Major 13th Chord Trainer

Learn how a Major 13th chord is built one semitone-count at a time — a major 9th chord (Lesson 48) with a 13th stacked on top — the fullest stock major 7th-family chord — then put it to work with three MIDI exercises: playing all 12 major 13th chords around the circle of fourths, and 5 jazz plus 5 gospel chord progressions that show off its color, in every key.

How a Major 13th chord is built

A Major 13th chord — written maj13 (e.g. Cmaj13) — is a 6-note chord: a major 9th chord (Lesson 48) with a 13th stacked on top — the fullest stock major 7th-family chord. Every maj13 chord — in any of the 12 keys — is built the exact same way, by counting semitones to the right from a root note:

  1. The starting note — this note names the chord.
  2. Count 4 semitones up from the root — the major 3rd.
  3. Count 3 more semitones up from the 3rd (7 semitones from the root) — the perfect 5th.
  4. Count 4 more semitones up from the 5th (11 semitones from the root) — the major 7th.
  5. Count 3 more semitones up from the 7th (14 semitones from the root) — the 9th.
  6. Count 7 more semitones up from the 9th (21 semitones from the root — an octave plus a major 6th) — the 13th; the 11th is skipped, since it clashes with the major 3rd a half step below it.
Example — Cmaj13: start on C, count 4 semitones right to reach E, count 3 semitones more to reach G, count 4 semitones more to reach B, count 3 semitones more to reach D, count 7 semitones more to reach A. C‑E‑G‑B‑D‑A is the Cmaj13 chord.
Like the dominant 13th chord (Lesson 34), a major 13th chord skips its own 11th — it would sit a half step above the major 3rd and clash badly. Root, 3rd, 7th, 9th, and 13th are the essential tones real players actually voice.

Try it: pick a root and build the chord step by step

Step 1 of 6
—
Chord toneNoteSemitones from rootMIDI #

All 12 major 13th chords at a glance

ChordRootMajor 3rdPerfect 5thMajor 7th9th13th

This MIDI exercise plays all 12 major 13th chords, one after another, moving around the circle of fourths — each chord's root sits a perfect 4th (5 semitones) above the last one: C → F → B♭ → E♭ → A♭ → D♭ → G♭/F♯ → B → E → A → D → G → back to C. Every chord is played as a full 6-note Major 13th chord (root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, major 7th, 9th, 13th together).

Chord 1 of 12
—

The 12 chords, in circle-of-fourths order

#ChordRootMajor 3rdPerfect 5thMajor 7th9th13th

Five jazz chord progressions built around the Major 13th chord. Pick a progression and play it in one key or cycle through all 12.

Key of C
—

Progression in C

DegreeChordNotes

Five gospel chord progressions built around the Major 13th chord. Pick a progression and play it in one key or cycle through all 12.

Key of C
—

Progression in C

DegreeChordNotes