Violin · Level 8 · Advanced
Dominant thirteenth chords in D♭ major on Violin
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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.
E♭m9
Notes: E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · F
A♭13
Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · F
D♭maj9
Notes: D♭ · F · A♭ · C · E♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord as an arpeggio, one note at a time: E♭m9, A♭13 and D♭maj9. Press play on the card, then match each note.
- Stay in first position: use the open string where you can and keep the fingers close to the string.
- 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 chord tones one at a time, one note per beat, with a full, even bow on each.
- 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 5 flats; 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 E♭m9 | A♭13 | D♭maj9 | D♭maj9.
What is the key signature of D♭ major?
D♭ major has 5 flats. 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”.
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