C# Dominant Thirteenth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
C# Dominant Thirteenth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: C#, F, G#, B, D#, A#
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m, 9M, 13M
Formula: 2W-WH-WH-2W-7
Number of notes: 6
Also known as: 13
The C# Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio contains 6 notes (C#, F, G#, B, D#, A#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the C# Dominant Thirteenth Arpeggio
Play the C# Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio whenever a C# Dominant Thirteenth chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The C# Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio uses 6 notes (C#, F, G#, B, D#, A#) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play C# Dominant Thirteenth Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find C# around the open strings and play through the arpeggio tones (C#, F, G#, B, D#, A#). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 6 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The C# Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio outlines a dominant seventh chord, creating the tension that wants to resolve. Use it over C#7, C#9, C#13 chords, especially in blues, funk, and jazz where dominant harmony drives the groove.
Practice Routine
Start by playing the C# Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio ascending and descending at 60 BPM, one note per beat, using a metronome. Once even and confident, play it in eighth notes, then triplets, keeping each note articulate. Spend at least 5 minutes daily on this before moving to musical application.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the C# Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.