Db13 Chord On The Guitar (D Flat 13) – Diagrams, Finger Positions and Theory

The Db13 chord contains the notes Db, F, Ab, Cb and Bb. It is produced by taking the 1 (root), 3 , 5, b7 and 13 of the Db Major scale. It is essentially an Db dominant 7 chord with an added 13. Here’s how to play it.

10 Ways To Play The Db13 chord

If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for Db13, here they are.

Db13 Chord 10 Shapes

Some Quick Db13 Chord Theory

  • The Db13 chord contains the notes 1, 3, 5, b7 and 13
  • The ’13 note’ is the same as the ‘6 note’ of the scale, but the 13 implies that the ‘b7 note’ is also included.
  • The Db13 chord is made up of Db, F, Ab, Cb and Bb.
  • The 9th of the scale is sometimes included, but because guitarists have a limited number of strings available, it is often left out.
  • The Db mixolydian mode is often used for soloing over Db13.
  • Db13 is essentially an Db7 chord, with an added note (13).

Standard Db13 Shape

The standard Db13 shape is played with the root note on the sixth string. Although this uses all four fingers and can seem difficult to begin with, it can quickly become a comfortable shape, because there is no barring involved, and none of the fingers need to stretch.

Db13 Chord Guitar

This is the standard shape that most guitarists default to when they think of the Db13 chord.

Easy Db13 shape

The easy version of the Db13 chord is played on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings. It’s actually a very easy shape, because each of the first three fingers gets its own fret (and string), forming a diagonal pattern, as seen below).

Easy Db13 Chord Guitar

Keep in mind that with this version, the root note and the 5th of the chord are omitted. However, this is still a legitimate 13th chord, because in guitar land, it’s very common (and often necessary) to leave out chord tones.

How to use the D Flat 13 Chord in a Musical Context

The easiest way to start using the Db13 chord is use it in place of the Db dominant 7 chord (Db7). In almost all contexts, the Db13 will work well in place of the Db7 chord and will add an interesting colour. Consider the following chord progression, which is a ii V I in Gb Major.

  • Abm7 – Db7 – Gb Maj 7 – Gb Maj 7

Try playing the chord progression above. Once you are familiar with the sound of the chord progression, try substituting in the Db13 chord for the Db7 chord, like this:

  • Abm7 – Db13 – Gb Maj 7 – Gb Maj 7

This is just one example. Another useful exercise is to play the 12-Bar-Blues in the key of D flat and use 13th chords instead of dominant 7 chords.

Can Db13 be Played as a Barre Chord?

Although some of the possible Db13 chord shapes contain barred fingers (usually half barres), the 13th chord in general is not really a barre chord. The most common way to play the Db13 chord does not use any barring. However, we can look at the root 6 and root 5 versions of the Db13 chord. This can be helpful, because most guitarists use the sixth and fifth strings of the guitar as navigational strings, when locating chords. By learning the root 6 and root 5 versions of the Db13 chord, they can be grouped more easily with other root 6 and root 5 chords (that have Db as the root).

Db13 Chord Root 6 and Root 5

What’s the Difference Between Db13 and Db6?

The ’13’ in the Db13 chord refers to the 13th note of the Major scale. The 13th note of the Major scale is simply the 6th note of the scale, up one octave. We refer to it as the 13 (instead of 6) because generally speaking, the 13th note is played in a higher octave (although this is a very general guideline and not a rule). Therefore, people sometimes question whether Db6 and Db13 are the same chord. The answer is that they are actually not the same chord. The Db13 chord contains the b7 (Cb), whereas the Db6 chord does not contain the b7:

  • Db13 = Db, F, Ab, Cb, Bb
  • Db6 = Db, F, Ab, Bb

The Db6 chord is also used as a substitute for the Db Major 7 chord, whereas the Db13 chord is used as a substitute for the Db dominant 7 chord.

Funky Versions of Db13 (3 shapes using only 4 strings)

Although the 13th chord is often associated with Jazz, it is also used prolifically in the Funk and RnB styles. Often, when used in these styles, the chord voicings are isolated to the first four strings of the guitar, with allows for a lighter, less bass-heavy sound, more suitable for funk strumming.

Here are three Db13 shapes which use the first four strings of the guitar.

Funky Db13 Chords

Does Db13 Contain the 9 (Eb)?

Technically speaking, the Db13 contains the 9th of the scale (Eb) as well as the 13th:

  • 1 – 3 – 5 – b7 – 9 – 13

Piano players are likely to add the 9 in the chord when they come across Db13. However, as guitarists, we rarely play all of the notes in a chord, especially with extension chords. Therefore, most of the Db13th chord voicings that guitarists play, don’t actually include the Eb note (which is the 9). Keep in mind that the 9 will generally always compliment the Db13 chord, so it can be included, but often it is not.

Here are the two most common Db13 chords with the 9 included:

Db13 Chord with 9 Included

Which Scales can be Used Over the Db13 Chord?

  • Db Mixolydian mode – this is the standard scale (mode) for Db dominant 7 chords (including Db13).
  • Db Major Blues Scale – using this scale will add a Blues flavour to the Db13 chord.
  • Db Major pentatonic scale – this is an easy scale to use with Db13, but it does not contain the b7.
  • Db lydian dominant – this scale (mode) is especially popular in a Jazz context.

Which Key Does Db13 Belong to?

Because the Db13 chord can function as a substitute for the Db7 chord, we can say that it belongs in the key of Gb:

Db13 Chord Substitutions

Db13 itself can be used as a substitute for the Db7 chord. This also means that in many contexts, Db13 will work well as a substitute for other Db dominant 7 chords with extensions and vice versa:

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