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D♭ Major 13th

chord·/chords/major-13th/d-flat/

The D♭ Major 13th chord contains the notes D♭, F, A♭, C, E♭, G♭, and B♭.

Notes: D♭, F, A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭ · Piano keys: D♭ F A♭ C E♭ G♭ B♭

Reviewed for accuracy · Last updated June 2026 · Maintained by Justin Evans

C♯ Major 13th
This is the same chord as C♯ Major 13th — the same keys on the keyboard, spelled with sharps.
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D♭maj13
D♭ – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭
Formula:R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13
Intervals:P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13
Scale Degrees:1-3-5-7-9-11-13

Practice D♭ Major 13th

Reading about it is one thing. Drilling it is what makes it automatic.

Chord Drill →Timed drills — build speed and recognitionPractice Room →Plug in a MIDI keyboard for real-time feedback

Introduction

Db Major 13th piano chord, root position — Db, F, Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb
The Db Major 13th chord in root position on a piano keyboard, notes Db, F, Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb.

The D♭ Major 13th chord is a seven-note chord made up of D♭, F, A♭, C, E♭, G♭, and B♭. It is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major ninth, perfect eleventh, and major thirteenth.

Notes

Notes:D♭ – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the D♭ Major 13th is the tonic (I) chord of Db Major, whose key signature has 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭).

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of D♭ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of the D♭ major scale:

C1C2C3C4FC5C6C7C8C#G#
I — D♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1ID♭ MajorMajor
2iiE♭ MinorMinor
3iiiF MinorMinor
4IVG♭ MajorMajor
5VA♭ MajorMajor
6viB♭ MinorMinor
7vii°C DiminishedDiminished

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D♭ – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell the following:

D♯ Minor 13th→G♯ Dominant 13th→

Theory: Intervals

Formula: R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13
Intervals: P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13

The D♭ Major 13th is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-M3-P5-M7-M9-P11-M13 show the distance between each note in the chord.

D♭ Major 13th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the D♭ Major 13th chord on piano?
The D♭ Major 13th chord contains the notes D♭ – F – A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the Db Major 13th chord?
Practical voicing: Db–F–C–Eb–Bb (root, third, seventh, ninth, thirteenth). Drop fifth and eleventh.
How does Dbmaj13 differ from Db13?
Dbmaj13 has major seventh (C). Db13 has minor seventh (Cb).
How is Dbmaj13 used in music?
Richest tonic in Db Major. Jazz ballads, R&B, neo-soul. Db is a favourite vocal key.
How does Dbmaj13 differ from Dbmaj9?
Adds the thirteenth (Bb) for a sweet, warm top note.
What songs use Major 13th chords?
Jazz ballads, bossa nova, neo-soul.
Do I need to play all seven notes?
No — Db–F–C–Eb–Bb is the practical voicing.

Practice Tips

  • Practical voicing: Db–F–C–Eb–Bb.
  • Dbmaj13 is the richest tonic in Db Major.
  • The thirteenth (Bb) gives warmth.
  • Practice Ebm11 → Ab13 → Dbmaj13 for lush ii–V–I.
  • Rootless: F–C–Eb–Bb for comping.
  • Beautiful in R&B ballads.

Related Tools

Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

How this chord page is sourced & verified

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this page are drawn from the established body of Western music theory and verified against the conventions below — the same fundamentals taught in conservatories and music programs. We list categories of source material rather than individual titles, and reference the standards themselves rather than any single edition.

  • Standard music theory texts — Widely taught fundamentals of pitch, rhythm, and notation.
  • Western tonal harmony conventions — Established rules for chord construction, voice leading, and key relationships.
  • Interval and chord construction standards — The conventional spelling of intervals, triads, sevenths, and extensions.
  • Scale and mode theory — The common derivation of major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and modal scales.
  • Piano pedagogy and technique references — Long-standing practices for fingering, hand position, and practice.

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