B13

B13 is B, D#, F#, A, C# and G#, a dominant thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written x21244, lowest string first.

Also written Bdom13 or B dominant 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for B13 on the guitar, and 47 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of B13 belongs to C# minor (the ♭VII) and E major (the V).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x21244, x21224, 222244, 746445, 766675, 777899, 797897.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. B13 has x2x244, 7x789x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. B13 has x0110x, xx6445, 5664xx, xx7897, x-12-13-13-12-x, 4212xx, xx1204, x2624x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. B13 has 4x120x, x2x244, 5x644x, x-11-x-8-10-7, 7x789x, 11-x-9-13-10-x, x-12-x-13-12-11, x6x495.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. B13 has x0112x, xx4244, xx6645, xx7899, x9789x, x-12-13-13-14-x, xx1224, x0x142.

Tensions. A shell of B13, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (E#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.