What notes are in the Db13 chord?

Db13 is made of Db, F, Ab, Cb, Eb and Bb — the 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 degrees of a thirteenth chord built on Db.

What keys use the Db13 chord?

Every note of Db13 belongs to 4 keys: F# Major (V), Gb Major (V), D# Minor (VII), Eb Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.

How do you play Db13 on guitar and piano?

This page shows Db13 on guitar and piano — 3 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.

Is Db13 the same as C#13?

Yes. Db13 and C#13 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Db13 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Chord · Db Dominant 13th

D♭13 Chord

D♭13 is Db, F, Ab, Cb, Eb and Bb — big; jazz V chord at full extension.

Hear it

D♭13 on every instrument

The same 6 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

Guitar1 voicing

Piano2 voicings

What D♭13 is made of

Db Dominant 13th (Db dominant 13th) is built from the notes Db, F, Ab, Cb, Eb, Bb, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 13. A common dominant 13th chord across many styles.

Stack 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 on a root of D♭ and you get Db, F, Ab, Cb, Eb and Bb. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a thirteenth chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C13 sounds like a transposed D♭13.

Dominant 13th: Big; jazz V chord at full extension.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with D♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain D♭13

All 6 notes sit inside the scale of 4 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Major keys

Minor keys

Other chords on D♭

Same root, different colour.

D♭Db Major D♭augDb Augmented D♭sus2Db Suspended 2nd D♭sus4Db Suspended 4th D♭5Db Power Chord D♭6Db Major 6th D♭6/9Db 6/9 D♭7Db Dominant 7th

The same thirteenth shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

C13C Dominant 13th D13D Dominant 13th E13E Dominant 13th F13F Dominant 13th G13G Dominant 13th A13A Dominant 13th B13B Dominant 13th F♯13F# Dominant 13th

Questions people ask about Db13

What notes are in the Db13 chord?: Db13 is made of Db, F, Ab, Cb, Eb and Bb — the 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 and 13 degrees of a thirteenth chord built on Db.
What keys use the Db13 chord?: Every note of Db13 belongs to 4 keys: F# Major (V), Gb Major (V), D# Minor (VII), Eb Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play Db13 on guitar and piano?: This page shows Db13 on guitar and piano — 3 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Is Db13 the same as C#13?: Yes. Db13 and C#13 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Db13 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why D♭13 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineWhat a seventh chord is for — tension, resolution, and the seat it takes in the key.6 min read The 12-Bar Blues — Three Chords, A Century of HitsSeventh chords are the whole sound of the blues. Twelve bars is where to hear it.7 min read