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.

Note by note. F is the root, A is the major third, C is the fifth, E is the major seventh, G is the ninth and D is the thirteenth.

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.

One note away. Change a single note of Fmaj13 and you have Fmaj9 (with one note taken away), Fmaj11 (with one note moved), F69 (with one note taken away) or F13 (with one note moved).

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.

Under the hand. 2 of the 8 shapes here sit in open position, and the first uses 4 open strings. 4 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 13th.

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).

What kind of chord this is. Fmaj13 is a major chord — root, major third, fifth. major chords on every root, and what they are for.

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