G13

G13 is G, B, D, F, A and E, a dominant thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written 302001, lowest string first.

Also written Gdom13 or G dominant 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for G13 on the guitar, and 55 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of G13 belongs to C major (the V) and A minor (the ♭VII).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 302001, 322231, 333455, 353453, x-10-9-10-10-12, x-10-9-10-12-12, 10-10-10-10-12-12, 15-12-14-12-12-13.

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. G13 has 3x345x, x-10-x-10-12-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. G13 has xx2001, 1220xx, xx3453, x8998x, x-x-14-12-12-13, 13-14-14-12-x-x, x2305x, 3734xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. G13 has x2x051, 1x200x, x7x463, 3x345x, 7x596x, x8x987, 12-x-9-10-8-x, x-10-x-10-12-12.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. G13 has xx2201, xx3455, x5345x, x-8-9-9-10-x, x-x-12-10-12-12, x-x-14-14-12-13, x2x251, x5x451.

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. G13 has x03453, 070465, 00300x, x53000, 0x0067, 7x0060.

Tensions. A shell of G13, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (C#).

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