How to Play a B Dominant 13 b5th Chord on Guitar

The B dominant 13 flat fifth chord is a sonority common in jazz music. If you are looking to expand your chordal vocabulary, this chord will make a great addition to your palette. Read on to learn how to construct and play a B dominant 13 flat fifth chord of your own.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar

1. Bar the seventh fret of the guitar by laying your forefinger over the seventh fret of all 6 strings. This bar with cover the notes B and A, the first and flat seventh degrees of the B major scale.

2. Using your middle finger, hold down the eighth fret of the fifth string (A string). This is the note F natural, the flat fifth degree of the B major scale. The flat fifth note is responsible for giving this chord its very dissonant sound.

3. Place your ring finger on the eighth fret of the third string (G string). This is the note D sharp, the third degree of the B major scale.

4. Place your pinkie on the ninth fret of the second string (B string). This is the note G sharp, the thirteenth degree of the B major scale.

5. Strum the chord. Play all of the strings in one sweeping motion.

Tips & Warnings

• This chord may sound very dissonant to your ear at first. However, in the context of a jazz chord progression you will hear just how beautiful the chord can sound. Don't judge chords in isolation. Harmony is all about context.