Left-handed G13 diagram
Vertical: high e on the left, nut at the top. Horizontal: high e at the top, nut on the right. X = silent, O = open. Dot numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little. A thick line joins notes held with one finger as a barre.
Fret and finger guide
Both codes read from low E to high e, regardless of the diagram view.
- Frets
3 · x · 3 · 4 · 5 · 5- Fingers
- 1 · – · 2 · 3 · 4 · 4
- Level
- Advanced (this fingering)
Make a clean G13 chord
Pick low E and the upper four strings, leaving A silent. Use a small little-finger barre at fret 5 on B and high e.
- Place one finger at a time, just behind the fret wire.
- Pick each sounding string slowly. Adjust any finger that mutes its neighbour.
- Release pressure, then make the shape again. Aim for a relaxed hand.
- Strum four beats, rest for four, then repeat. Rest if your hand becomes tired; stop if you feel pain.
Another way to play it
Try 3x345x with high e silent. This compact G13 leaves out the fifth, ninth and natural eleventh; use separate fingers on low E, D, G and B.
Fret codes are written low E to high e. An x means leave that string silent.
Practise chord changes with a metronome →G13 notes and chord formula
The full stacked formula runs up to the thirteenth. Practical guitar voicings leave notes out: this shape omits the fifth and natural eleventh. Leaving out the eleventh avoids its semitone clash with the major third; the third, flat seventh and thirteenth give the shape its character.
- Formula
- 1 – 3 – 5 – b7 – 9 – 11 – 13
- Chord notes
- G – B – D – F – A – C – E
This guitar voicing leaves out: 5, 11. The notes above describe the chord; the fret guide describes this specific voicing.
How to read chord diagrams · Build a comfortable barre · Connect chord shapes with CAGED