Bass chord companion
Learn the D13 chord on bass with chord tones, intervals, playable arpeggios, and fretboard maps.
Play these tones one at a time to outline the chord. The maps show the complete formula; the numbered exercises give an ascending path, including extensions in their written octave.
Standard four-string bass: E1 – A1 – D2 – G2. String 4 is low E; string 1 is high G. Fingers 1–4 are index through little finger; 0 is open. Use comfortable hand positions and shift where indicated.
D Dominant 13 complete chord-tone map around string 4, fret 10. Choose individual tones for a bass line.
Follow steps 1–7 below. This path uses 1 marked position shift.
| Step | Degree | Note | String / fret | Finger | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | D2 | 4 / 10 | 2 | Fret 9 |
| 2 | 3 | F#2 | 3 / 9 | 1 | Fret 9 |
| 3 | 5 | A2 | 3 / 12 | 4 | Fret 9 |
| 4 | b7 | C3 | 2 / 10 | 2 | Fret 9 |
| 5 | 9 | E3 | 1 / 9 | 1 | Fret 9 |
| 6 | 11 | G3 | 1 / 12 | 4 | Fret 9 |
| 7 | 13 | B3 | 1 / 16 | 4 | Shift to 13 |
D Dominant 13 complete chord-tone map around string 3, fret 5. Choose individual tones for a bass line.
Follow steps 1–7 below. This path uses 2 marked position shifts.
| Step | Degree | Note | String / fret | Finger | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | D2 | 3 / 5 | 1 | Fret 5 |
| 2 | 3 | F#2 | 3 / 9 | 1 | Shift to 9 |
| 3 | 5 | A2 | 3 / 12 | 4 | Fret 9 |
| 4 | b7 | C3 | 2 / 10 | 2 | Fret 9 |
| 5 | 9 | E3 | 1 / 9 | 1 | Fret 9 |
| 6 | 11 | G3 | 1 / 12 | 4 | Fret 9 |
| 7 | 13 | B3 | 1 / 16 | 4 | Shift to 13 |
Every D13 Chord chord tone across the neck, with roots highlighted for quick orientation.
Frets 0–24. Select a position or tap a note to hear it.
Try these progressions to hear the harmony in context. On bass, outline each chord with individual target tones.
Use the dominant sound to pull strongly into a stable major tonic.
The same dominant root can resolve into a minor tonic for a darker cadence.
Place the dominant at the end of a turnaround so the next phrase has forward motion.
| Degree | Interval | Note | Default guitar voicing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | D | Included |
| 3 | M3 | F# | Included |
| 5 | P5 | A | Usually omitted |
| b7 | m7 | C | Included |
| 9 | M9 | E | Included |
| 11 | P11 | G | Usually omitted |
| 13 | M13 | B | Included |
The table shows the complete theoretical chord. The default guitar voicing uses D, F#, C, E, B; degrees 5, 11 are usually omitted. Chord-tone maps include every formula tone. The bass arpeggio plays the complete formula one note at a time.
1 – 3 – 5 – b7 – 9 – 11 – 13
Compound degrees retain their names: 9, 11, and 13 are extensions. A voicing may place their pitches in a closer register.