Arpeggio
C 13
Dominant
- Formula
- 1 3 5 ♭7 9 13
- Notes
- C E G B♭ D A
Notation
Fretboard — frets 0–24
Degrees
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | perfect unison | 0 | The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves. |
| 3 | E | major third | 4 | The major third — the bright note that makes a quality major; it defines the chord's colour and pulls gently toward the root. |
| 5 | G | perfect fifth | 7 | The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality. |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor seventh | 10 | The minor seventh — the dominant's engine; a whole step under the root, it turns a triad into a 7 chord and drives the resolution. |
| 9 | D | major ninth | 14 | The major ninth — the second degree an octave up; it adds shimmer to maj9, 6/9 and the m9 family without changing the harmony. |
| 13 | A | major thirteenth | 21 | The major thirteenth — the sixth an octave up; it crowns maj13 and 13 with a bright, horn-like top. |
About this arpeggio
The dominant thirteenth is the fullest dominant sound: a seventh, a ninth and a thirteenth stacked over the major triad. The thirteenth is the sixth degree an octave up, so the chord gains a bright, horn-like crown while the tritone between the third and seventh keeps it driving toward the tonic. Big bands end phrases on it, jazz guitarists use it as a rich V chord, and it is one of the first places players learn to drop the fifth to make room. It implies the mixolydian sound with a natural sixth. Listen for the thirteenth singing above the tritone — beauty over tension.
How to practise this arpeggio
- Play the thirteenth on top and let it crown the dominant stack.
- Compare it with the 9 chord and hear what the top note adds.
- Omit the fifth and keep the third, seventh and thirteenth.
- Use it to end a phrase in a big-band style and sustain the thirteenth.