A13

A1C♯3E5G♭7B9F♯13

Seven notes in theory and four or five in anyone’s hands: root, third, seventh and thirteenth carry it.

on ukulele on piano the scale

Every fingering that fits a hand

Fig. 2

544000

easy

Fig. 3

x04020

easy · no 9

Fig. 4

x02022

open · no 9

Fig. 5

504020

easy · no 9

Fig. 6

524020

moderate

What is true of it

A13 is A, C♯, E, G, B and F♯ — 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 counted from A.

On an instrument that cannot reach all 6, the 5, 9 and 1 go first, in that order.

The easiest of the 5 fingerings below is 544000: 3 fingers, held at the 4th fret.

1 of them use open strings, which is what makes a shape quiet to change to.

Where its notes are on the neck

Fig. 7 — first 12 frets

The brass dots are A, the root. Everything else is a chord tone with its degree printed in it.

With a different note underneath

first inversion

A13/C♯

x44000

second inversion

A13/E

044000

third inversion

A13/G

344000

An inversion is the same chord with a different note lowest. The name changes to a slash name because the bass is what a listener hears as the foundation.

A in other shapes

Aadd9added ninth A9dominant ninth Amaj9major ninth Amajor Amminor Adimdiminished

C13 C♯13 D♭13 D13 D♯13 E♭13 E13 F13 all 374