Guitar · Level 8 · Advanced
Dominant thirteenth chords in D major on Guitar
Don’t just read about Dominant thirteenth chords in D major. Play it.
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A dominant thirteenth adds the sixth on top of a seventh chord. It is the polished V chord of big-band and soul arrangements.
Em9
Notes: E · G · B · D · F♯
A13
Notes: A · C♯ · E · G · B · F♯
Dmaj9
Notes: D · F♯ · A · C♯ · E
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: Em9, A13 and Dmaj9. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Press just behind the fret with your fingertips and keep the thumb relaxed behind the neck.
- Set the tempo to 69 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Keep the third and seventh in the voicing; they define the chord.
- Strum down on every beat at first, then try down–down–up–up–down–up.
- Raise the tempo to 92 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for the thirteenth sitting above the seventh like a melody note.
Listen for
Aim for the thirteenth sitting above the seventh like a melody note. A common mistake is leaving out the seventh, which turns the chord into a plain sixth.
Why it works
The eleventh is normally omitted from a dominant thirteenth because it clashes with the major third.
D major has 2 sharps; its relative minor key is B minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii9–V13–Imaj9 in D major?
In D major the progression is Em9 | A13 | Dmaj9 | Dmaj9.
What is the key signature of D major?
D major has 2 sharps. Its relative minor is B minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 8 lesson (advanced). If it feels too hard, start with “The backdoor progression”.
Your hands learn faster than your eyes.
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