D Dominant Thirteenth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
D Dominant Thirteenth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: D, F#, A, C, E, B
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m, 9M, 13M
Formula: 2W-WH-WH-2W-7
Number of notes: 6
Also known as: 13
The D Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio contains 6 notes (D, F#, A, C, E, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the D Dominant Thirteenth Arpeggio
Play the D Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio whenever a D 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 D Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio uses 6 notes (D, F#, A, C, E, B) 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 D Dominant Thirteenth Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find D around fret 2 and play through the arpeggio tones (D, F#, A, C, E, B). 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 D Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio outlines a dominant seventh chord, creating the tension that wants to resolve. Use it over D7, D9, D13 chords, especially in blues, funk, and jazz where dominant harmony drives the groove.
Practice Routine
Start by playing the D 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 D Dominant Thirteenth arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.