Learn C maj13: Theory, Diagrams, and Interactive Practice
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The C major thirteenth chord, written Cmaj13, stacks root C, major third E, fifth G, major seventh B, ninth D, eleventh F and thirteenth A.
There are six voicings on this page, four of them barre shapes. None of them is played below the 3rd fret. For melody, use the C Lydian scale: it holds the root, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and thirteenth, and its raised fourth replaces the natural eleventh. When you add the chord to a progression, smoother chord changes will help.
Start the drum loop in the player at the top, choose a tempo and play along with Cmaj13 until it sits on the beat.
C major 13th guitar chord is also written as Cmaj13, CM13, CΔ13 or Cma13.
Notes in the C maj13 chord:
Tones of the Major Thirteen chord:
Formula: 1 3 5 7 9 11 13
C Maj13 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the low E string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the B string
Position 2 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the low E string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the B and high E strings at the same time
Position 3 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the A and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the high E string
Position 4 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the A and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the D string
Position 5 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the D string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the B string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the high E string
Position 6 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the low E, A and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the high E string
Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
Which notes does Cmaj13 include?
C, E, G, B, D, F and A, all natural notes. They are the seven notes of the C major scale stacked in thirds.
How many Cmaj13 voicings are there on guitar?
Six voicings, four of them using a barre and none using open strings. They span fret 3 to fret 10.
How is C major thirteenth different from Cmaj7?
Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B. The thirteenth chord adds the ninth D, the eleventh F and the thirteenth A.
Which scale should I use over Cmaj13?
C Lydian: C, D, E, F#, G, A and B. It covers every chord tone except F, the eleventh, which Lydian raises to F#.
