How do you play the Ab 13/C chord?

To play the Ab 13/C chord on piano, play the Ab 13 chord (Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb and F) with C as the lowest bass note. Place the C note below the other chord tones. Slash chords specify a particular bass note different from the chord root.

What is a slash chord?

A slash chord (or compound chord) is written as Chord/Bass and specifies both a chord and a bass note. The note to the right of the slash is played as the lowest note. The Ab 13/C chord means a Ab 13 chord with C in the bass.

Ab 13/C

Q: What notes are in the Ab 13/C chord?

The Ab 13/C chord uses the 6 notes of the Ab 13 chord — Ab (Perfect unison), C (Major third), Eb (Perfect fifth), Gb (Minor seventh), Bb (Major ninth) and F (Major thirteenth) — with C played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The Ab 13 chord consists of the Ab (Perfect unison), C (Major third), Eb (Perfect fifth), Gb (Minor seventh), Bb (Major ninth) and F (Major thirteenth) notes, with C as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a Ab 13/C chord

How to play the Ab 13/C chord

Play C as the lowest bass note in the left hand
Find Ab (Root) on the piano keyboard
Add C (Major third) — 4 semitones above Ab
Add Eb (Perfect fifth) — 7 semitones above Ab
Add Gb (Minor seventh) — 10 semitones above Ab
Add Bb (Major ninth) — 14 semitones above Ab
Add F (Major thirteenth) — 21 semitones above Ab
Press all 7 notes simultaneously to sound the Ab 13/C chord

Related chords with different root

Ab 13