Ukulele · Level 8 · Advanced
Dominant thirteenth chords in E major on Ukulele
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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.
F♯m9
Notes: F♯ · A · C♯ · E · G♯
B13
Notes: B · D♯ · F♯ · A · C♯ · G♯
Emaj9
Notes: E · G♯ · B · D♯ · F♯
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: F♯m9, B13 and Emaj9. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Use light pressure; the ukulele's nylon strings need far less force than steel.
- 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 add an up-strum between beats with a loose wrist.
- 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.
E major has 4 sharps; its relative minor key is C♯ minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii9–V13–Imaj9 in E major?
In E major the progression is F♯m9 | B13 | Emaj9 | Emaj9.
What is the key signature of E major?
E major has 4 sharps. Its relative minor is C♯ 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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Reading a chord chart is step one. Play it to a metronome, record it, and hear yourself get better, all in one app.
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