Minor Thirteenth Chord

The Minor Thirteenth Chord extends the Minor Seventh Chord by adding a major ninth, a perfect eleventh, and a major thirteenth. The theoretical notes are: root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major ninth, perfect eleventh, and major thirteenth. As with other extended chords, the fifth and eleventh (especially the perfect eleventh, which can conflict with the minor third creating dissonance) are often omitted in practical voicings to ensure clarity and a cleaner voicing. The sound is rich, dense, and complex, typical of modern jazz, neo-soul, and fusion. It offers a melancholic but sophisticated color, with a sense of breadth and harmonic depth. It is frequently used on the ii degree in a ii-V-i progression (where the ii is a minor chord) or on the i degree as an enriched tonic chord in advanced jazz contexts.

Common Progressions

• ii13 - V7 - i (the standard jazz progression enriched on the ii degree, which gives a very wide and sophisticated sound to the passage)
• i13 - iv7 (the thirteenth adds depth and a sense of completeness to the minor tonic chord, making it more lush)
• Can serve as an enriched substitute for Minor7 or Minor9 chords in very dense and complex harmonic contexts, to increase color and layering.