Gmaj13 Guitar Chord | How to Play The G Major Thirteen Chord
The G major thirteenth chord (Gmaj13) is spelled G, B, D, F#, A, C and E. Because every note comes from the major scale, the chord is a whole scale spelled in thirds.
Lydian is the scale that avoids the natural eleventh, so the G Lydian scale fits a maj13 voicing without it. The natural eleventh sits a half step above the major third and clashes with it, so it is often left out and the chord is still called maj13. You can spot the gaps between these notes with fretboard interval shapes.
It is often heard in jazz, and as a major chord it sounds at rest rather than pulling toward another chord.
G major 13th guitar chord is also written as Gmaj13, GM13, GΔ13 or Gma13.
Notes in the G maj13 chord:
Formula of the Major Thirteen chord:
Formula: 1 3 5 7 9 11 13
Download
the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
Which notes make up Gmaj13?
G, B, D, F#, A, C and E. All seven notes of the G major scale appear, from the root up to the thirteenth.
How do you read the numbers in G major thirteenth?
The 13 refers to E, the sixth note of the G major scale sounded an octave higher. The chord also contains the ninth A and the eleventh C.
What is the difference between Gmaj13 and Gmaj7?
Gmaj7 is G, B, D and F#. Gmaj13 is those four notes plus the ninth A, the eleventh C and the thirteenth E.
What scale matches Gmaj13 when improvising?
G Lydian: G, A, B, C#, D, E and F#. It contains every chord tone except C, the eleventh, which Lydian raises to C#.
