Dmaj13

Dmaj13 is D, F#, A, C#, E and B, a major thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written xx0422, lowest string first.

Also written DM13, DΔ13 or D major 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Dmaj13 on the guitar, and 53 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Dmaj13 belongs to D major (the I), F# minor (the ♭VI), A major (the IV) and B minor (the ♭III).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx0422, x54420, x52422, x54422, x55677, 10-9-9-9-10-9, 10-10-11-11-12-10, x-14-12-12-14-14.

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. Dmaj13 has xx0677, x5x677, 10-x-11-11-12-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Dmaj13 has 2404xx, xx0422, x4443x, xx9779, 9997xx, x-x-11-11-12-10, xx4637, 7546xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Dmaj13 has 2x042x, x4x432, 7x463x, x5x677, 9x977x, x-14-x-11-14-10, 10-x-11-11-12-x, x-9-x-7-12-9.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Dmaj13 has xx2422, x2422x, x4445x, xx7677, xx9979, x-x-9-11-10-9, x-x-11-11-12-12, x-12-11-11-12-x.

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. Dmaj13 has 020222, 04443x, x44430, x02422, x24220, 0x7677.

Tensions. A shell of Dmaj13, 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.