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Guitar chords · Dominant 13th

D♭13 chord on guitar (Db13)

D♭13 (D♭ 13th) has six notes: D♭, F, A♭, C♭ (played as B), E♭ and B♭, the , 3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 13.

Shapes

How to play D♭13

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

D♭13 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 4 or the E shape at fret 9. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 4

    4fr××R♭7313D♭C♭FB♭
  • E shape · fret 9

    9fr××R♭7313D♭C♭FB♭
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes D♭13 dominant 13th

A 13th chord stacks the 13th (the 6th, an up) on a chord. Guitarists play the , 3rd, ♭7th and 13th: the 5th and 9th are optional, and the 11th is left out because it clashes with the 3rd. It is a rich dominant heard in jazz, blues and funk.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
  • 11Left out: players skip it because it clashes.

The 3rd, the ♭7th and the 13th make D♭13 a 13th chord; you can leave out the 5th and the 9th. The 11th is left out: it clashes with the 3rd.

  1. D♭Rroot
  2. F3essential
  3. A♭5optional
  4. C♭♭7essential
  5. E♭9optional
  6. B♭13essential
EADGBE0135791215D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭FA♭B♭C♭E♭FB♭C♭E♭FA♭B♭C♭E♭FA♭B♭C♭E♭FA♭B♭C♭E♭FA♭B♭C♭E♭FA♭B♭C♭FA♭B♭C♭E♭F
  • D♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

D♭13 usually resolves to G♭ or G♭m, the chord a 5th below: the V13–I move.

D♭13 and C♯13 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with D♭13

D♭13 belongs to two keys: G♭ major (V13) and E♭ minor (VII13).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

D♭13 over another bass note

A keeps D♭13 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • D♭13/F

    D♭13 with its 3rd, F, in the bass.

  • D♭13/A♭

    D♭13 with its 5th, A♭, in the bass.

  • D♭13/C♭

    D♭13 with its ♭7th, C♭, in the bass.

Questions

D♭13, in short

What notes are in the D♭13 chord?
D♭13 (D♭ 13th) has six notes: D♭, F, A♭, C♭ (played as B), E♭ and B♭, the , 3, 5, ♭7, 9 and 13.
How do you play D♭13 on guitar?
D♭13 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 4 or the E shape at fret 9.
What key is D♭13 in?
D♭13 belongs to two keys: G♭ major (V13) and E♭ minor (VII13).
Is D♭13 the same as C♯13?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. D♭13 is the spelling in G♭ major and E♭ minor; C♯13 in F♯ major and D♯ minor.
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