Fmaj13

Fmaj13 is F, A, C, E, G and D, a major thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written 100010, lowest string first.

Also written FM13, FΔ13 or F major 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Fmaj13 on the guitar, and 57 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Fmaj13 belongs to C major (the IV), D minor (the ♭III), F major (the I) and A minor (the ♭VI).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 100010, 112231, xx3230, x53355, x87755, x85755, x-8-8-9-10-10, 13-12-12-12-13-12.

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. Fmaj13 has 1x223x, x-8-x-9-10-10, 13-x-14-14-15-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Fmaj13 has xx2231, x7776x, x-x-12-10-10-12, 12-12-12-10-x-x, x-x-14-14-15-13, 1522xx, x5325x, 5737xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Fmaj13 has x5x251, 1x223x, 5x375x, x7x765, 10-x-7-9-6-x, x-8-x-9-10-10, 12-x-12-10-10-x, 13-x-14-14-15-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Fmaj13 has xx0210, xx2233, x0203x, x3223x, xx5755, x5755x, x7778x, x-x-10-9-10-10.

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. Fmaj13 has 000503, 530000, 000067, x00500, 03020x, 57000x.

Tensions. A shell of Fmaj13, 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.