Cmaj13

Cmaj13 is C, E, G, B, D and A, a major thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written x32201, lowest string first.

Also written CM13, CΔ13 or C major 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Cmaj13 on the guitar, and 55 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Cmaj13 belongs to C major (the I), E minor (the ♭VI), G major (the IV) and A minor (the ♭III).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x32201, x33455, 877787, 8-8-9-9-10-8, x-12-10-10-12-12, x-15-12-14-12-12, x-15-14-14-12-12.

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. Cmaj13 has x3x455, 8-x-9-9-10-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Cmaj13 has x2221x, xx7557, 7775xx, x-x-9-9-10-8, x-14-14-14-13-x, xx2415, 5324xx, x3745x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Cmaj13 has 5x241x, x2x210, x3x455, 7x755x, x-12-x-9-12-8, 8-x-9-9-10-x, 12-x-10-14-12-x, x-14-x-14-13-12.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Cmaj13 has x2223x, xx0200, x0200x, xx2203, xx5455, xx7757, xx7987, x-x-9-9-10-10.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Cmaj13 has 030455, x20253, 530000, 00400x, x04000, 57000x.

Tensions. A shell of Cmaj13, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (F#).

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