Bmaj13

Bmaj13 is B, D#, F#, A#, C# and G#, a major thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written x22344, lowest string first.

Also written BM13, BΔ13 or B major 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for Bmaj13 on the guitar, and 47 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Bmaj13 belongs to Eb minor (the ♭VI), F# major (the IV), Ab minor (the ♭III) and B major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x22344, 766676, 778897, x-11-9-9-11-11, x-14-13-13-11-11, x-14-11-13-11-11.

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. Bmaj13 has x2x344, 7x889x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bmaj13 has x1110x, xx6446, 6664xx, xx8897, x-13-13-13-12-x, 4213xx, xx1304, x2634x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bmaj13 has 4x130x, x2x344, 6x644x, x-11-x-8-11-7, 7x889x, 11-x-9-13-11-x, x-13-x-13-12-11, x6x496.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Bmaj13 has x1112x, xx4344, xx6646, xx6876, xx8899, x9889x, x-x-11-13-11-11, x-11-13-11-11-x.

Tensions. A shell of Bmaj13, 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.