D13

D13 is D, F#, A, C, E and B, a dominant thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written xx0412, lowest string first.

Also written Ddom13 or D dominant 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for D13 on the guitar, and 53 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of D13 belongs to E minor (the ♭VII) and G major (the V).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx0412, x54577, x54557, 555577, 10-7-9-7-7-8, 10-9-0-9-0-8, 10-9-9-9-10-8, 10-10-10-11-12-12, 10-12-10-11-12-10.

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. D13 has xx0577, x5x577, 10-x-10-11-12-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. D13 has 2304xx, x3443x, xx9778, 8997xx, x-x-10-11-12-10, xx0412, xx4537, 7545xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. D13 has 2x041x, x3x432, 7x453x, x5x577, 8x977x, x-14-x-11-13-10, 10-x-10-11-12-x, x-9-x-7-12-8.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. D13 has x3445x, xx7577, xx9978, x-x-10-11-12-12, x-12-10-11-12-x, xx2412, x2421x, x2x212.

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. D13 has 03443x, x34430, 030432, 0x7577, x04557, 754500.

Tensions. A shell of D13, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (G#).

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