D♯13 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The D♯13 chord is a dominant thirteenth chord built on the root note D♯. Its notes are D♯, F𝄪, C♯, E♯ and B♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as E♭13.
Dominant thirteenth chords are the fullest dominant sound in common use, a dominant seventh with a ninth and a thirteenth piled on top. The major sixth on top, sounding an octave up as the thirteenth, gives the chord a bright, open lid.
- Notes
- D♯ · F𝄪 · C♯ · E♯ · B♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♭7 · 9 · 13
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 10 · 14 · 21
- Note
- D♯
- Quality
- Dominant 13
- Symbol
- D♯13
D♯13 on piano
5 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play D♯13 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on D♯, index finger on F𝄪, middle finger on B♯, ring finger on C♯ and little finger on E♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯ and C♯ are black keys and F𝄪, E♯ and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call G, F and C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- D♯1
- F𝄪3
- B♯13
- C♯♭7
- E♯9
D♯13 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, D♯13 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 5 and 8. Don't play string 6.
D♯ · F𝄪 · C♯ · E♯ · B♯
Play D♯13 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
D♯13 chord notes
Also known as E♭13
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | D♯(D#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | C♯(C#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | E♯(E#) | |
| 13 | Major thirteenth | 21 | B♯(B#) |
How to use the D♯13 chord
The D♯13 chord is built from a root, a major third, a minor seventh, a major ninth and a major thirteenth. Start at the root D♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: D♯, F𝄪, C♯, E♯ and B♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant thirteenth chords are the default rich dominant in jazz, gospel and R&B horn and keyboard voicings, usually the V7 resolving to a major or minor tonic. Big band charts lean on them wherever a plain dominant seventh would sound thin.
How D♯13 differs from similar chords
D♯13 tops the dominant family, with a thirteenth over D♯7 and D♯9. The thirteenth is the sixth an octave higher, and that is the line between it and D♯6: D♯13 also has the minor seventh, so it keeps the dominant pull. The fifth and the eleventh are left out so the voicing doesn't get muddy.
Where D♯13 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key D♯13 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the D♯13 chord?
- The D♯13 chord contains D♯, F𝄪, C♯, E♯ and B♯ (D#, F##, C#, E# and B# in plain text).
- Is the D♯13 chord major or minor?
- D♯13 is a dominant thirteenth chord. Dominant thirteenth chords are the fullest dominant sound in common use, a dominant seventh with a ninth and a thirteenth piled on top. The major sixth on top, sounding an octave up as the thirteenth, gives the chord a bright, open lid.
- How do you play D♯13 on piano?
- Place your fingers on D♯, F𝄪, C♯, E♯ and B♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard D♯ and C♯ are black keys and F𝄪, E♯ and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call G, F and C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play D♯13 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 5 and 8. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the D♯13 chord?
- D♯13 is enharmonically equivalent to E♭13. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.