Piano · Level 8 · Advanced
Dominant thirteenth chords in G major on Piano
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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.
Am9
Notes: A · C · E · G · B
D13
Notes: D · F♯ · A · C · E · B
Gmaj9
Notes: G · B · D · F♯ · A
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: Am9, D13 and Gmaj9. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Keep the right hand curved over the keys and move it as one unit between chords.
- 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.
- Play the left-hand bass note on beat one and the right-hand chord on every beat.
- 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.
G major has 1 sharp; its relative minor key is E minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii9–V13–Imaj9 in G major?
In G major the progression is Am9 | D13 | Gmaj9 | Gmaj9.
What is the key signature of G major?
G major has 1 sharp. Its relative minor is E 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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