E Major Thirteen Guitar Chord (Emaj13) | Easy Ways to Play It
To build Emaj13, the E major thirteenth chord, take root E, major third G#, fifth B, major seventh D#, ninth F#, eleventh A and thirteenth C#. In a major key a maj13 can sit on the first degree, where all seven of its notes belong to the key.
The E Lydian scale fits the chord once the natural eleventh is left out, and it adds a floating raised fourth. The top three notes, F#, A and C#, spell an F# minor triad, which is a quick way to picture the upper part of the chord. Compare it with dominant seventh chords, which pull toward a resolution.
E major 13th guitar chord is also written as Emaj13, EM13, EΔ13 or Ema13.
Notes in the E maj13 chord:
Tones in the Major Thirteen chord:
Formula: 1 3 5 7 9 11 13
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes are in Emaj13?
E, G#, B, D#, F#, A and C#. They are the seven notes of the E major scale: root, third, fifth and seventh with the ninth, eleventh and thirteenth stacked on top.
What do the 9, 11 and 13 mean in E major thirteenth?
They are F#, A and C#, the second, fourth and sixth degrees of E major an octave higher. Together with E, G#, B and D# they complete the stack of thirds.
How does Emaj13 differ from Emaj9?
Emaj9 contains E, G#, B, D# and F#. Emaj13 keeps those and adds the eleventh A and the thirteenth C#.
Which scale suits Emaj13?
E Lydian: E, F#, G#, A#, B, C# and D#. It includes every chord tone except A, the eleventh, which Lydian raises to A#.
