The 13th Chord – A Hammond Blues Essential
One of the most used and reliable chords in Hammond organ blues is the 13 chord. It’s a dominant chord with just the right amount of tension and color, and it fits perfectly in the blues vocabulary used by players like Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes, and Jimmy McGriff.
When you’re playing left hand bass—like I do—your right hand needs to carry all the harmony. That’s where wide voicings come in. They give your sound more space, more clarity, and that unmistakable Hammond depth.
Let’s take C13 as an example. My go-to voicing in the right hand is:
Bb, E, A, and C
That gives you the flat 7, the 3rd, the 13th, and the root—spaced out just enough to breathe.
Now I’ll be honest: my hands aren’t that big either, so this voicing can be a stretch for me too. But it’s worth getting comfortable with, because it really pays off. With the bass line handled by your left hand on the lower manual, this right-hand shape gives you warmth, punch, and clarity without ever sounding cluttered.
It’s a simple and effective shape that works every time.
Check out the video:
