Gmaj13

Gmaj13 is G, B, D, F#, A and E, a major thirteenth. The shape this page opens on is written 322232, lowest string first.

Also written GM13, GΔ13 or G major 13. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Gmaj13 on the guitar, and 55 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Gmaj13 belongs to D major (the IV), E minor (the ♭III), G major (the I) and B minor (the ♭VI).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 322232, 334453, x75577, x-10-9-9-7-7, x-10-7-9-7-7, x-10-10-11-12-12, 15-14-14-14-15-14.

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. Gmaj13 has 3x445x, x-10-x-11-12-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Gmaj13 has xx2002, 2220xx, xx4453, x9998x, x-x-14-12-12-14, 14-14-14-12-x-x, x2405x, 3744xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Gmaj13 has x2x052, 2x200x, x7x473, 3x445x, 7x597x, x9x987, 12-x-9-11-8-x, x-10-x-11-12-12.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Gmaj13 has xx2202, xx2432, xx4455, x5445x, xx7977, x7977x, x-9-9-9-10-x, x-x-12-11-12-12.

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. Gmaj13 has x02432, 004453, x20252, 200000, 00400x, 20200x.

Tensions. A shell of Gmaj13, 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.