D Minor Thirteenth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
D Minor Thirteenth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: D, F, A, C, E, B
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 5P, 7m, 9M, 13M
Formula: WH-2W-WH-2W-7
Number of notes: 6
Also known as: m13, -13
The D Minor 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 Minor Thirteenth Arpeggio
Play the D Minor Thirteenth arpeggio whenever a D Minor 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 Minor 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 Minor 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 Minor Thirteenth arpeggio outlines a D minor chord and fits naturally over Dm, Dm7, Dm6 voicings. Use it to bring out the darker, expressive quality of minor harmony in your solos and melodies.
Practice Routine
Play the D Minor Thirteenth arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on D. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 6 notes (D, F, A, C, E, B). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.
Ukulele Tips
On ukulele, integrate the D Minor Thirteenth arpeggio into your fingerpicking by plucking through the chord shape one note at a time. This transforms a static strum into a melodic, harp-like texture that showcases each interval clearly.