Bb13 Ukulele Chord
Looking for the Bb13 chord on your ukulele? It is a three-finger shape, a little fiddly at first but it settles fast. Your fingers go on the C, E and A strings. The steps below show exactly where each one sits.
A three-finger shape. Here is how to play Bb13, step by step.
- Notes: Bb, D, F, Ab, C, Eb and G
- Frets: 0 2 4 1
- Tuning: g C E A
Bb13 ukulele chord details
- Type
- Dominant 13th
- Also known as
- Bb thirteenth
- Formula
- 1 3 5 b7 9 11 13
- Intervals
- Bb (root), D (major 3rd), F (perfect 5th), Ab (minor 7th), C (9th), Eb (11th), G (13th)
- Notes
- Bb, D, F, Ab, C, Eb and G
- Frets
- 0 2 4 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Tuning
- Standard (g C E A)
How to play the Bb13 chord
Here is the Bb13 chord step by step:
- Put your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the C string.
- Put your little finger on the 4th fret of the E string.
- Put your index finger on the 1st fret of the A string.
- Leave the g string open.
- Strum all four strings.
Take it slowly the first few times and it will start to feel natural. New to these grids? Have a look at how to read a ukulele chord diagram.
What notes are in the Bb13 chord?
The Bb13 chord is built from seven notes: Bb, D, F, Ab, C, Eb and G (the root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th). That flat seventh makes a dominant 7th restless. It leans forward and wants to resolve to the next chord, which is why it turns up all over blues and folk. New to these? Have a read about seventh chords.
Ukulele songs that use the Bb13 chord
Want to go further?
Once Bb13 feels comfortable, its close relatives are worth exploring: try Bb7, Bbmaj7, Bbm and Bb. Bb13 pairs most often with F, Eb and Gm, so the few basic chords next to it go a long way. When that feels good, work on switching between chords faster. When you are ready, try some easy ukulele songs.