F13

F13 is F, A, C, Eb, G and D, a dominant thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written 111233, lowest string first.

Also written Fdom13 or F dominant 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for F13 on the guitar, and 55 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of F13 belongs to G minor (the ♭VII) and Bb major (the V).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 111233, x-8-7-8-10-10, x-8-7-8-8-10, 8-8-8-8-10-10, 13-10-12-10-10-11, 13-12-12-12-13-11, 13-13-13-14-15-15.

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. F13 has 1x123x, x-8-x-8-10-10, 13-x-13-14-15-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. F13 has xx1231, x6776x, x-x-12-10-10-11, 11-12-12-10-x-x, x-x-13-14-15-13, 1512xx, x5324x, 5637xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. F13 has x5x241, 1x123x, 5x374x, x6x765, 10-x-7-8-6-x, x-8-x-8-10-10, 11-x-12-10-10-x, 13-x-13-14-15-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. F13 has xx1233, x0103x, x3123x, x6778x, x-x-10-8-10-10, x-x-12-12-10-11, x-x-13-14-15-15, x-15-13-14-15-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. F13 has 56000x, x00047, x0044x, xx0045, 5x004x.

Tensions. A shell of F13, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (B).

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