Mandolin · Level 8 · Advanced
Dominant thirteenth chords in C major on Mandolin
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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.
Dm9
Notes: D · F · A · C · E
G13
Notes: G · B · D · F · A · E
Cmaj9
Notes: C · E · G · B · D
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: Dm9, G13 and Cmaj9. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Mandolin frets are close together, so reach with the fingertips and press each pair of strings evenly.
- 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, then try the bluegrass “chop”: a short, muted strum on beats two and four.
- 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.
C major has no sharps or flats; its relative minor key is A minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii9–V13–Imaj9 in C major?
In C major the progression is Dm9 | G13 | Cmaj9 | Cmaj9.
What is the key signature of C major?
C major has no sharps or flats. Its relative minor is A 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”.
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