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Guitar chords · Major 13th

D♭maj13 chord on guitar (Dbmaj13)

D♭maj13 (D♭ major 13th) has six notes: D♭, F, A♭, C, E♭ and B♭, the , 3, 5, 7, 9 and 13.

Shapes

How to play D♭maj13

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♭maj13 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××R7313D♭CFB♭
  • E shape · fret 9

    9fr××R7313D♭CFB♭
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes D♭maj13 major 13th

A major 13th chord stacks the 13th on a major , for a lush, wide sound that ends many jazz tunes. Play the , 3rd, 7th and 13th: the 5th and 9th are optional, and the 11th is left out because it clashes with the 3rd.

  • 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♭maj13 a major 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. C7essential
  5. E♭9optional
  6. B♭13essential
EADGBE0135791215D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭FA♭B♭CE♭FB♭CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CFA♭B♭CE♭F
  • D♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

D♭maj13 and C♯maj13 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♭maj13

D♭maj13 belongs to four keys: D♭ major (Imaj13), A♭ major (IVmaj13), B♭ minor (IIImaj13) and F minor (VImaj13).

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♭maj13 over another bass note

A keeps D♭maj13 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • D♭maj13/F

    D♭maj13 with its 3rd, F, in the bass.

  • D♭maj13/A♭

    D♭maj13 with its 5th, A♭, in the bass.

  • D♭maj13/C

    D♭maj13 with its 7th, C, in the bass.

Questions

D♭maj13, in short

What notes are in the D♭maj13 chord?
D♭maj13 (D♭ major 13th) has six notes: D♭, F, A♭, C, E♭ and B♭, the , 3, 5, 7, 9 and 13.
How do you play D♭maj13 on guitar?
D♭maj13 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 4 or the E shape at fret 9.
What key is D♭maj13 in?
D♭maj13 belongs to four keys: D♭ major (Imaj13), A♭ major (IVmaj13), B♭ minor (IIImaj13) and F minor (VImaj13).
Is D♭maj13 the same as C♯maj13?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. D♭maj13 is the spelling in D♭ major, A♭ major, B♭ minor and F minor; C♯maj13 only in C♯ major and A♯ minor, which most players write as D♭ major and B♭ minor.
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